Parent Teacher Meetings
by raichy
Summary: Bella is Alice's adoptive mother. Edward is her science teacher. What happens when Edward notices something strange about Alices doodling and calls bella into a meeting to discuss it. Rated for future chapters and language. All human.
1. Chapter 1

**So i'm going through the process of getting this Beta'd and am going to start replacing the chapters.**

**Thanks to Twimarti and OTD673 for beta-ing this.**

**Disclaimer: All the characters and anything else from Twilight is the property of S Meyer.**

CHAPTER ONE- A START

**Bella's POV**

"Alice!" I yelled up the stairs, so loud my throat hurt.

_No response. Great!_

I groaned in frustration and forced myself upstairs. I didn't have time for the teenage theatrics this morning, but, just like every day this week, she hadn't gotten up.

I had adopted the dark haired pixie a little under two years ago. She is a great girl and I love her dearly, but a morning person she is not. This fact made my life just a little more difficult.

I peered around her bedroom door and was met by a sight that was frustrating but not surprising at all. All I could see of my 'daughter' was a foot and a shock of black hair sticking out from under the duvet at odd angles.

I sighed and put on my best '_Mom means business'_ voice. "Alice, you have thirty seconds to make a move or there will be some very serious consequences!" I warned.

I heard a distinct grunt from under the thick quilt. But I didn't even see a small twitch of movement to indicate that she would get up.

"I'm talking about serious cuts from your closet," I clarified, knowing that if nothing else worked, the threat of confiscating shoes would make her move. Whoever said it was wrong to blackmail your kids had obviously never tried it because it worked like a charm.

Right on cue, she sat bolt upright, hair askew and eyes wide in alarm. "You wouldn't!" she challenged, fixing her piercing blue eyes on me.

"Just try me," I retorted. "I need to be at the restaurant in thirty minutes, so if you want a ride to school, you'd better get a move on." Then, I left the room to let her get dressed.

I hated making her do stuff she didn't want to. It was one of the more aggravating parts of being a parent. Social Services would be on my ass if she missed so much as a single class. I couldn't handle that, and neither could Alice. She'd had a hard life, never having known her parents. I wanted to make sure she was happy. And, rather selfishly, I liked having her around. It was like living with a friend when I didn't have to play the 'Mom' card. Thankfully, that wasn't often. I'd never known someone so easy to live with (compared to my college roommates and my mother she was surprisingly low-maintenance) If only she could get up on time, she'd be the ideal teenager.

I returned to the kitchen and poured coffee into two thermoses as I heard the click of heels on the stairs. I was always amazed at Alice's idea of practical footwear, and even more amazed that she had never broken an ankle or so much as stumbled whilst wearing the pointy things.

"Here," I said handing her one of the thermoses.

"Is this a peace offering?" she asked, taking an appreciative sniff of the coffee and smiling tentatively, apparently gauging how much trouble she was in.

"That depends," I told her. "Did it work?"

"You're forgiven," she admitted, taking a long gulp. "Even if I would rather be asleep right now," she added sullenly.

"Good, I forgive you too," I told her mirroring her action by drawing a long sip from my own thermos.

"Let's get this show on the road," she said, picking up her school bag from the floor where she had abandoned it the night before. I grabbed the keys to my old, faded and sometimes unreliable but much loved truck and followed her out the door.

"You want to do a few hours at the restaurant tonight?" I asked her as we got into the antique vehicle. If she didn't do a few hours waitressing here and there, I'd probably never see her. That kitchen couldn't run without me so I had to be there practically every day.

"Sure, I can put off my Physics assignment a little longer," she said, grinning and messing with the radio station.

"You're on top of all your school stuff though, right?" I asked in a moment of parental concern.

"Sure, straight A's remember?" She grinned like the Cheshire cat, referring to the report card she'd dropped on my desk last week.

"Yeah I do," I admitted, remembering the hole in my credit card from the shoes she'd bought herself as a reward.

We drove the rest of the way to the school in silence, save for the radio which was playing a song I'd never heard by a band I didn't know, which made me feel old.

"Pull over here," she told me when we were about two blocks from the school. I sighed. She wouldn't let me get any closer to the school in my truck. It was '_bad for her image'._ She truly was a teenager sometimes.

"See you later," I said, giving her a quick hug.

"Sure. I'll be at the restaurant by five," she told me, and I raised my eyebrows in a silent question.

"Well, I ought to do some homework first," she admitted. "That's the problem with being the '_perfect' _student. You have to keep the standards high." And with that, she got out of the cab with unbelievable grace and started off down the road, not looking back.

I started to drive away, and I looked in my rear view mirror once and saw what I thought was Alice hugging some blond boy. By the time I looked back in the mirror to check, I could no longer see her. Assuming it was the trick of the light or that it hadn't been Alice at all, I just carried on driving. The only thing I could think about was work.

I had let Mike handle the fish delivery this morning, which certainly meant there would be pandemonium when I got there. Mike was a good guy and a hard worker, which was why he still had a job. But I wouldn't mind if his organizational skills improved. I sighed. It was going to be a long day.

**Alice's POV**

"Miss Swan, I do hope that is something you're willing to share with the rest of the class," I heard from behind me. I cringed visibly as Mr. Cullen, the Physics teacher, snatched my sketchbook from under my hands.

His eyes scanned in the image I'd been drawing, and he sighed. "While you are undoubtedly very talented, this has very little to do with the equations you're supposed to be working on," he said, pointedly looking at the blank page of my open exercise book. "You can have this back at the end of class," he said, surveying the rest of the room as he walked away, no doubt, hoping to find another student whose morning he could make less pleasant. _That man needed to get laid. Maybe then, he'd stop torturing poor kids like me who'd rather sit and draw than answer questions that were so easy they were practically insulting._

I sighed and picked up my pen, catching Jasper's eye as I started on the first problem. I smiled. He looked apologetic. He knew not having my sketchbook would be killing me. He mouthed the word 'Asshole', jerking his head in Cullen's direction.

'Too right,' I mouthed back. He smiled and went back to his own work.

This was going to be a long class.

**Bella's POV**

"Mike, get that cleaned up," I said, hitting full boss mode as I saw the salad meant for someone's starter on the floor. I really was going to have to let him go soon if he didn't get his bloody act together.

"Eric, tell me you've got table four's chicken ready?" I asked, with a slightly panicked edge to my voice, looking over at one of the other chefs.'

"Almost," he replied hastily.

"And Jessica, the chocolate mousse for the couple at table seven?" I was going to hyperventilate at this rate.

The days I assumed would be slow were always the ones we were busiest.

"Two more minutes," she claimed, looking as breathless as I felt.

"Good, then I'm taking a break," I said, needing to get out of the heat of the kitchen. I yanked the hairnet from my hair as I left and shoving the offending piece of netting into my pocket. It was a semi-symbolic gesture for me- no hair net meant I wasn't cooking which also meant I wasn't in charge- for just a few minutes I could be free of the trials and responsibility of being _'the boss'_

I stood in the alley behind the restaurant breathing in the cool, fresh air, feeling my panic ebb away slowly and wishing I could drink on the job.

"Hey Bells," I heard behind me.

I turned to see the owner of the voice I knew so well. I'd known Jake since I was a child and came to town to visit my dad during holidays and later when I'd moved in with Charlie he'd become one of my best friends and trusted confidante. Charlie and his dad had always hoped that one day he and I would be more than friends but they remained disappointed.

"Jake. It's good to see you," I told him. He pulled me into a fierce hug almost cutting of my air supply in the process.

As he let go, I grimaced, looking at his jacket. I'd managed to get marinara sauce all over him and his very expensive looking jacket. "God, I'm sorry Jake. Here," I gushed, embarrassed, as I grabbed the tea towel from my shoulder and wiped his chest in an effort to remove the offensive sauce.

"Don't sweat it, Bells," he said calmly. "Relax." He took the towel from me and finished the job himself.

"Sorry," I apologized. "It's been a long shift. Hey, why are you here anyway?" I asked, realizing how rare it was for him to be at the restaurant. I didn't think I'd ever seen him before when I was at work. Usually we met at the dinner or my place for catch-ups, gossip sessions or movie nights.

"I'm here to pick up a phone order," he said by way of an explanation. "I thought I'd come in the back at get some face time with the head chef, but you were already out here," he said, smiling.

Then, my cell phone rang, the shrill ringtone raising my irritation level.

"Just go through and tell them you want the Black order. If they give you any trouble, tell them they'll have to deal with me," I told Jake, grabbing my phone from the depths of my apron pocket.

"Aye, Aye," he replied, and with a small salute he disappeared inside.

I pressed 'accept' on my phone, after untangling it from my hair net and held it to my ear. "Hello," I said automatically.

"Hello, is this Miss Swan?" a male voice asked in an exceptionally polite tone.

"Speaking, who is this?" I asked in return.

"My name is Edward Cullen. I'm your daughter's Physics teacher," he replied. I was startled; no one from the school had ever contacted me before. I instantly thought of the worst case scenario and panicked.

"Oh my God! Is Alice okay? What happened?" I gushed. The words were flying from my mouth before I had time to think them.

"She's fine, she's fine. I didn't mean to cause you any alarm. There's no pressing problem. I'm just calling because I'd like to set up a meeting. I have some concerns regarding Alice and would like to speak to you about them. Would that be okay?" he asked.

I was startled. Why would a teacher have concerns about a student who got straight A's? "Sure. That would be fine," I said, confusion lacing my voice.

"It's nothing to worry about, I assure you," the man claimed softly. "How does tomorrow afternoon, four o'clock suit you?"

"That's fine," I said automatically. If I had to leave Mike in charge for an hour or two, I would.

"Wonderful. I'll meet you at reception then," he said.

"Sure," I replied defeated.

"Wonderful. I look forward to meeting you, Miss Swan," he told me.

"Likewise, Mr. Cullen," I replied automatically.

"Goodbye."

"Bye." And with that farewell, I hung up the phone. Alice had some explaining to do.

**Alice's POV**

"So, I'll see you tomorrow?" Jasper asked me as we walked slowly down the street towards my mom's restaurant.

"Sure." _And that's not all you'll be doing,_ I added silently in my head. I was going to make my move tomorrow. I'd decided and when my mind was made up it might as well be carved in stone. (Though I wouldn't do the carving myself- chisels wore hard work.)

"Okay then, bye." And he pulled me in for a hug and with great effort I resisted breathing in his scent.

"Bye," I repeated, and then he let me go and started walking down the street towards his place. I watched him walk- he did it so well. His steps were neither hurried nor too slow and the jeans that he was wearing were ones that I had chosen for him and they displayed the perfectness of his cute behind. And his hair, unruly as it was, was shining in the setting sun of early winter, making it appear golden.

I sighed and walked down the back alleyway, meandering my way past trash cans and empty cardboard boxes, to enter the busy kitchen.

"Hey everyone," I greeted cheerfully, heading towards my locker, dumping my book bag and grabbing my apron.

"Alice. I need a word with you," Bella's voice said above the other noises filling the room.

"O-kay," I said slowly, uncertain what the tone of her voice meant. _What could this be about? _

"I got an unexpected phone call today from a Mr. Cullen," Bella told me. Now I understood the tone that was her 'annoyed voice'. Usually that tone was reserved for Mike and the pizza delivery guy when he messed up our order. "I have to see him tomorrow. He's concerned about you. Anything you want to tell me?" she asked crossing her arms and looking like she was moments away from steam blowing out of her ears.

"Nope," I told her stubbornly. God, that man was irritating, calling the parental unit just because he'd caught me doodling in class. The man was unreal. Seriously- what was his problem?

"Well, we'll see about that tomorrow," she told me in her best impression of Grandpa Charlie.

"I'm sure we will," I replied dryly as I grabbed my notepad and pen and headed out into the restaurant. A few hours serving picky customers wasn't my ideal way to spend an evening, but it would take something exceptional to make this day any worse.

_**Okay so let me know what you think- Reviews are beautiful things people. Next chapter- The meeting.**_


	2. Chapter 2

**Thank you to all of you who reviewed the first chapter or added it to your alerts. It makes me happy you're all so eager for more of this story. Though I wish more of you had reviewed. I appreciate all your comments.**

Chapter two- A meeting

BPOV

"Bollocks!" I swore loudly as my sock quickly began work, soaking up the cold water of the puddle I had just stepped into. I slammed my truck door shut with an unnecessary amount of force trying to dispel my irritation. Not only was I walking into a meeting I didn't want to go to but now I was going to do it looking like I wasn't sensible enough to watch where I was putting my feet.

I looked down at my foot again and cursed. For some unfathomable reason I had worn grey trousers today rather than my usual black and the water was quickly soaking its way past my ankle and up the rest of my trouser leg. It wouldn't have been visible on darker fabric but on these it was blaringly obvious. As if my day wasn't bad enough already.

It'd been another battle this morning getting Alice out of bed which had been followed by me falling down the bottom three stairs at home. I'd gotten caught in traffic on my way to work and by the time I arrived at the restaurant all the mushrooms for tonight's special had managed to find their way onto the floor and due to the freezer leaking overnight they were soaked and inedible. And the icing on the cake had been when Jessica called in sick and we'd done the lunch shift with one less chef. And now, as I looked at my foot and felt the stab of ice cold water take over my toes, I realised my day wasn't going to get better anytime soon.

_Better get this over with_, I thought sulkily and set off for the school's main entrance. Being near this place made me feel uneasy. I had had my high school experience here and the place always felt like a sick time capsule. The halls were lined with photographs and awards from not only the years I had attended but the many years before and after too familiar names and faces jumped out at me when I passed. It made me feel old. And there was no reason for a 26 year old to feel old. The short walk across the parking lot gave me the irrational fear that id be forced to spend more of my time here. And in this moment I could relate to Alice's point of view. I wouldn't want to face this place every morning either.

I took a deep breath as I opened the heavy front door and stepped inside. I greeted the elderly receptionist and told her my reason for being here. She had worked her for an indefinite number of years and I found myself wondering idly if she had been here when Charlie had been a pupil. Probably.

She smiled and told me she'd let Mr Cullen know I had arrived and then disappeared from the office. I ignored the cosy looking chairs that were scattered around the reception area. I preferred to stand. It wouldn't do to get comfortable. That's when things caught you off guard, pulled the rug from under your unsuspecting feet and the world laughed at you whilst you lay flat on your back in pain.

I studied a piece of artwork on the wall. It was a good ink drawing of a girl dancing. The plaque beneath read, '_Jasper Whitlock, Junior Class '09'_. It was a recent piece then. This school housed some real talent, I mused as I took in the image.

"Miss Swan?" hearing my name snapped me out of my musings and tore my eyes away from the beautiful monochrome image and into the most shockingly intense pair of green eyes I had ever seen.

My mouth fell open of its own accord. The man in front of me now was utterly gorgeous in that obvious I-just-walked-out-of-an-underwear-commercial way only he had far too many clothes on.

He looked at me amusedly, a smile reaching his eyes and flashing his perfect teeth at me.

I shout my mouth with a snap, realising I must be doing a pretty good impression of a goldfish right now.

"Yes." I answered, wondering who he was and why he knew my name.

"I'm Mr Cullen." He introduced himself, offering his hand for me to shake.

No! A teacher! Really? My god they didn't make them like this when I was in school. Surely teachers (of physics, at least) were old, ugly and wore unflattering corduroy jackets with elbow patches and generally looked and smelled like they'd been dragged through a hedge backwards.

I took his hand and shook it, hoping he didn't notice I was shaking ever so slightly. "P... pleased to m... meet you" I stuttered stupidly.

"Let's go to my classroom and we can discuss the issues shall we?" he turned and began to lead the way up the frighteningly familiar corridor.

For the briefest of moments my eyes dropped to his ass. My, my, my. I smiled and bit my lip. What I wouldn't do to be able to look at that all day. I shook my head trying to physically shake my thoughts from my mind. He's Alice's Teacher! Alice's teacher! Teacher! This would become my internal mantra during this meeting I just knew it. God help me!

EPOV

I felt the strange sense of irony as I led this woman around a building that she had spent ten times more time in than myself. I could've used one of the office's near the reception area but considering the nature of my worries I wanted to be somewhere more comfortable and since meeting a parent at a bar wasn't appropriate or professional my classroom would have to do. She followed me into the well lit room and looked around uneasily at the walls, she looked terrified, like she expected something to jump out and bite her.

"Nothing changes in here much does it?" she asked more to the room than me.

I wasn't really sure if that was rhetorical or not. "I guess not." I mumbled "You would know." A look crossed her face briefly. An expression of deep thought. Like the one she had had when id fist seen her in the entrance hall. What a sight she had been. Standing there absorbed in the picture on the wall, head cocked to one side, holding a strand of hair between her fingers. She wasn't the mother I had pictured in my head but I hadn't let my surprise show.

"Miss Swan?" I had asked, just to make sure it was her. Her head whipped around to face me and her mouth fell open slightly and she seemed incapable of speech for a moment. Like it was difficult to let go of her previous train of thought and start a new one.

"Yes?" she had answered finally.

"I'm Mr Cullen." I said by way of introduction and held out my hand. She took it uncertainly and stuttered "P... pleased to m... meet you". That was adorable. As I turned to lead her to my classroom I had spotted the damp patch on her trousers. The bottom of her left leg was soaked through; I hid a smile at her misfortune, the parking lot here was a certified minefield of puddles deeper than they appeared.

Now she sat down in one of the high backed lab chairs and looked at me with curiosity. "Why was it you wanted to see me Mr Cullen?" she asked. Straight to the point. I liked that. "Is there a problem with Alice's work?" she asked in concern.

"Not at all" I answered honestly wanting to assure her there want a problem with Alice's school work. Alice was a great student. Top marks, never missed a piece of homework, never late to class. She helped her partner and was generally a pleasure to teach. No I had asked Miss Swan to come in today on a suspicion. I was curious how much she knew about her adopted daughter.

"Then why call me in?" she asked confused. She must think I'm wasting her time.

"Alice has been distracted in a few of my classes this week." I started, unsure how much to reveal. I was a good poker player. I liked to keep my cards close to my chest until I was sure it was time to play them. "I was wondering if you knew of any reason for this."

She seemed to consider this for a moment and a brief smirk crossed her face before answering "No, she's seemed fine at home, and at the restaurant. I haven't noticed any change."

"Really?" I showed my surprise and decided to reveal a little more. "It seems to have something to do with her drawing. You know the sketchbook she carries around." I elaborated. She nodded knowing which book I meant. I continued "she seems to get distracted by whatever it is she's drawing and it can be quite difficult to regain her attention." I told her.

She looked at me sympathetically now. I marvelled slightly at the number of emotions her face could portray so stunningly for a moment before listening to her response. "I'm sorry about that. I can talk to her about it. She does tend to get a little carried away with her drawings. She's been the same since I've known her." She admitted

I wanted to carry on. To tell her why the drawings, or just the one image really, had affected me so strongly. But something told me she'd think I was crazy. Instead I asked "What are her drawings about?"

She looked surprised at my question and answered "I couldn't tell you. Alice's work is very personal and it tends to change from day to day. I can barely keep up with her most days." And she chuckled at a private joke. Her laugh was remarkable. I wanted to hear more of it but it was over before it began.

"Well I'm sorry I dragged you in here then, Miss Swan. I was hoping you would be able to shed some light on the subject. I like to get to know my students better. Understanding them is sometime half the battle. Once you understand them, you can understand how to relate to them." I felt the need to explain myself. Knowing I wouldn't reveal the real reason I wanted information about Alice's hobby.

"That's okay." She replied, smiling. It was nice getting to meet one of Alice's teachers. I'll speak to her about her sketches. Tell her to keep her book in her locker from now on. It must be hard enough to keep the kids attention without them bringing distractions to class." She joked but I took her remark seriously.

"Actually I kind of hope my teaching is interesting enough to keep my students attention. Though it is not always the case it gets me through the day."

BPOV

"Of course" I said. It was s little like me with Mike, I got through the day by making myself believe that he was getting better, making fewer mistakes and learning. It kept me from letting him go.

"Well I should let you get back to work." He insisted standing up.

"How do you know about my work?" I asked. This man seemed to know an awful lot.

"Please, you're the chief of police's daughter an ex-student here who runs a successful business in town. This is a small town, people talk."

I groaned inwardly at that. I hated to be the subject of attention. Probably why I was a chef. It was a behind the scenes position. "And I have tasted your lasagne; I could never forget the name of a woman who makes such a simple meal taste so exquisite." He continued. So he'd been to the restaurant. I'm glad he enjoyed the food but blushed in embarrassment at the compliment anyway.

I turned to leave and in a display of complete clumsiness I trip over my own foot and fall, missing the ground by inches as his arms wrap themselves around me. I clung to his arms in reaction, wanting to avoid landing on the cold surface. And he slowly pulled me up to a standing position and as he did I caught a trace of his scent, woodsy and unbelievably masculine. Then our eyes met. The first thing I noticed was the concern in them; the next was the variation in the colours of his irises. Dark green like moss in some places and so pale it was almost blue in others a fleck of yellow here and there. Totally captivating. I could get lost in those eyes. My head barely had time to register the rest of his face, the straight nose, curvy, expressive eyebrows and pale, slightly parted lips. For the briefest of seconds I could feel his breath on my face and as I searched his eyes I swore he was searching my face too. For a split second I swore he leaned towards me, tilting his head slightly, and his eyelids starting to close, as if to kiss me...

The next instant a bell sounded right behind me, making me jump and him pull back. The moment over, I was almost positive I had imagined the whole thing. Wishful thinking and an overly active imagination.

"Well I hope to see you again MR Cullen." I said, shaking his hand and smiling in goodbye. I turned to leave and I could barely hear him say "Me too, Miss Swan" as I left the room. I wondered to myself if he'd meant for me to hear him.

I dragged my thought away from the man who'd captured my interest so completely in such a short space of time and thought instead of the uncomfortable conversation if would need to have with Alice tonight when I got home. He hadn't mentioned anything worrying about the drawings but I wasn't going to give him any reason to be more curious than he already seemed to be. Alice didn't need that kind of attention.

A POV

"Do you think your moms done with Mr Cullen yet?" Jasper looked over at me and smiled.

"Probably, knowing Bella." I replied. I rarely called her mom. It felt easier calling her by her given name, friendlier. And that way I didn't have to feel guilty for forgetting about the woman, who had given birth to me, the woman I didn't know, I'd never met. That was the most frustrating part about being adopted. Not knowing. I hated that. "I'm sure we'll have a long chat about it when I get home." I told Jasper.

"You're not worried about it are you?" he asked me curiously.

"No, just curious why he asked her to meet him in the first place." I admitted. It didn't make any sense. Thought of the image he'd seen when he'd confiscated my sketchbook the previous day. There was nothing suspicious about it, nothing unusual. There should be no way he knew anything.

"So you wanna give up on this?" Japer changed the subject and indicated the French homework we'd been struggling with for the past thirty minutes.

"Why not." I said and happily threw my notes and textbooks into my backpack with obvious enthusiasm.

Jasper chuckled as he did the same but at a more casual pace. "What do you want to do instead?" he asked. He probably didn't realise what a leading question that was. But it set me up perfectly. And before I could change my mind I acted on the impulse I'd been repressing for the last fortnight and leaned forward, closing my eyes and pressing my lips to his gently. He stiffened at first; I wasn't sure whether or not it was in shock or disgust. I was about to pull away and apologise, praying our friendship wouldn't suffer when I felt his fingertips brush the side of my face and his lips move against mine, returning the pressure. My heart soared and I smiled into the kiss as I wrapped my arms around his neck.

"Alice." He chuckled my name as he drew away slightly. His hands still stroking the side of my face as he looked me in the eyes.

"What?" I asked in an innocent tone that would have fooled no-one let alone the person who knew me almost as well as I knew myself.

"We're in a library." He said matter-of-factly.

"So?" I said my tone carefree.

"This is hardly an appropriate place for this." He said seriously.

"Well then, Mr Whitlock, may I suggest we find a more appropriate venue for this activity?" I said already dragging him out of the library.

"You may." He said chuckling and he let me lead him outside his hand tightly clasped in mine.

**Well there you go. I was going to make you wait a little longer for this chapter but I'm not that mean. Let me know what you think please. It only takes a few minutes and makes me very happy to get emails about my stories. And I will give a gold star to anyone who can figure out why Alice's drawings are so mysterious, why Bella and Alice are worried about Edward's interest in them. It will be answered in the next chapter anyway. I will also be adding Emmet and Rosalie into the mix in my next chapter. So there's something to look forward to. Reviews make me want to update quicker....**


	3. Chapter 3

**And the gold star goes to ****almostbella95**** who correctly guessed the reason for Bella's worry and Edward's suspicion about Alice's drawings.**

**As a teacher I can dish out gold stars to whoever I want to and so I'm giving one to ****Desi-Pari Always**** as well because although their guess wasn't correct it was definitely an interesting idea and I may be tempted to write it into the story at some point.**

**Now this chapter has taken a lot of work and would've been up sooner but I was distracted by a story I was reading. I can't read and write at the same time. It was more than 3000 words without this A/N so I hope you're pleased with it.**

**Disclaimer-Twilight does not belong to me. **

**Chapter 3- Suspicions and Memories**

EPOV

I was aware I was waking up and so I tried to will myself back to sleep forcing myself to hold on to the dream I had been so immersed in. But like so many things the harder I tried to hold on to it the more easily it escaped me. It was like the opposite of when you walk through fog and things seem to materialise in front of your very eyes. Now fog seemed to be drawing closer to me, swallowing the images in my mind and carrying them away.

I groaned as I awoke, the dream forced to an end and my imagination was not strong enough this early to replicate the wonderful dream id been having. At least I think it was wonderful. The details seemed fuzzy now. I couldn't remember the where, when or what of the dream. In fact the only detail I did remember was who the dream had been about.

My mind had been swimming with thoughts of her chestnut hair and deep chocolate eyes. I had spent so little time with her, just twenty or so minutes in a depressing, cramped classroom discussing her adopted teenage daughter. I knew nothing about her. Not really. I only knew what I've been told about her from others in passing, about her family and her restaurant and things of that nature. I picked up a few things during our meeting yesterday but not enough. I wanted to know more about the intriguing Bella Swan. This woman was truly amazing to have me dreaming about her and for her to be the first thought I have when I wake up, after a mere 20 minutes of conversation- unbelievable.

But for now it would have to wait. I was up early, my alarm hadn't gone off yet but I should use the extra time to my advantage. I could do a little marking and maybe leave work before five thirty tonight for a change. I made the bed and headed for the bathroom. A good hot shower would set me right for the day. As I washed and scrubbed, my mind thought back to her and that moment in the classroom. She'd felt so soft pressed against me like that. And she'd clung to me so tightly. Her breathing had quickened and before the bell had rung she'd looked like her eyes were closing too. Like she'd been able to tell I was about to kiss her, even though I'd made no conscious decision to. My body was acting of its own accord without contacting my brain for consent. The bell and snapped them both out of their mental slumber though. And they'd responded appropriately, moving apart and bidding each other a polite farewell. But still when he thought about her warm body being so close to his combined with the smell of her hair and the look in her eyes well.... he abruptly turned the shower water to cold. He did not need to be having those kinds of thoughts about a student's parent. It was unprofessional and would make future interactions with the woman terribly distracting. The temperature of the water had the desired effect on his body and his thoughts so he quickly towelled dry and got dressed.

As he sat himself at the kitchen table with a stack of freshmen papers he thought about the reason for yesterdays meeting. Alice Swan's peculiar drawing. Maybe peculiar wasn't the right word. Technically it was very good, the form and shading all very dramatic but it was the subject of the drawing that had drawn his attention and made his draw drop. He knew that boy. The picture had shown a young boy of about four sat at a table surrounded by a group of friends unwrapping what looked like a bright red fire truck from some shiny wrapping paper, a huge grin plastered across his young face. But the boy in question wasn't some figment of Alice's artistic imagination. That boy was his nephew. How would Alice have known little Seth? The resemblance in the drawing was uncanny; it couldn't have been a co-incidence; could it? He shook his head once again forcing his thoughts away from the Swan women to concentrate on other things.

Halfway through marking a paper that baffled and amused Edward his phone began to ring. That's odd, he thought, no-one calls me this early. And he picked it up without as much as a glance at the caller-ID.

"Bro- Your up!" Edward's mood instantly lifted. He hadn't heard from Emmett in a while and missed his voice.

"Hey Emmett, how are things?" he asked, honestly curious.

"Oh they're great man. I just got a promotion." He told him, pride evident in his voice.

"That's fantastic. Good job" Edward congratulated his big brother. "What about Rose and the little one?"

"Rose is the same as always and Seth is actually the reason I'm calling." He admitted.

Edward was confused. He was calling him about Seth, his mind flashed to the drawing for a fraction of a second. And then was back to Emmett. "Oh?"

"Yeah it's his fourth birthday on Saturday and we're having a party for him and he keeps asking if his uncle Eddy will be there." Emmet explained.

"Oh man, I don't know." Edward cringed, could he brave several hours of his family? For a kid as sweet as Seth, he hoped so. But time with his family always wore him out. All the conversations about why he hadn't found a nice girl of his own and settled down like his brother. The concerned looks from his mother and the understanding nods from his dad. He would hate it.

"Please, Ed. It'd mean the world to him. The kid loves you. I have no idea why, but he does." Emmett started his persuasion. Edward knew it wouldn't be long before he cracked. Emmett had gotten a promotion for a reason. He was the best salesman Edward knew. He could sell snow the Eskimo's if he was inclined to do so.

"Okay, okay. I'll be there." He conceded. "What time do the festivities start?" he asked.

"Wow and I didn't even have to grovel." Emmett sounded pleased. "I'd promised Rose I would resort to bribery and begging if I had to."

"Well if it makes you feel better then go ahead." Edward joked.

"That's okay man. We start at four, and bring a gift okay."

"Sure thing, I'll see you Saturday. Mum and dad will be pleased, they were asking after you last week."

"Oh dear."

"Don't be like that Bro, you know it's only because they care."

"I know I just wish they'd care a little quieter. I'll see you on Saturday."

"Okay man, bye."

"Bye Em" and with that e hung up the phone. Somehow he'd been convinced to go to his brothers this weekend. Put up with his mother, father, brother, sister-in-law, nephew and a variety of his little friends _and_ he had to take a gift. He sighed in defeat and the drawing resurfaced in his mind. And he remembered the fire truck. _At least I know what I'm going to buy the little tyke_, he thought.

BPOV

"Alice I won't be asking you more than once this morning so you'd better start moving now." I told her, walking across the landing to her room. As I opened the door I stopped and stared. For the first time in two years she wasn't buried deep in her covers when I came to wake her. She was sat at her desk, paintbrush in hand, sweeping it across the page in front of her. I smiled as I watched her.

"Morning Bella." She greeted me cheerfully.

"I can't believe my eyes." I said still looking at her incredulously. "What are you doing up so early?"

"It's seven o'clock, Bella." She told me "That's hardly early, Bella."

"For normal people maybe, but for you, little Alice, its incredible." I chuckled.

"If you say so." She said, putting her brush away and looking up at me.

"We need to talk" I told her softly. She'd been asleep by the time I'd gotten home last night "about my meeting, yesterday, with Mr Cullen."

"What about it?" she asked shuffling her papers.

"He seemed curious about your artwork." I said pointedly looking down at the pages in her hands. Her head snapped up. He eyes wide with fear.

"You think he knows some things up?" She asked me.

"I don't think so. He didn't say anything to make me think he really knew. He just seemed curious. What picture did he see?" I asked.

"A boy, I don't know, opening a present." She said simply.

"Well I don't want you taking anymore chances Alice, No more drawing in his classes ok?" I said in a warning tone.

"Ok Bella." She said unenthusiastically. She knew it was a necessary but it did not make it anymore bearable. She loved her 'talent', her strange little 'ability' and hated the thought of limiting it. I thought back, to two years ago, to how her charming little quirk had bought us together.

Flashback

I _had been thinking of adopting for a while. I was terribly lonely since Charlie had moved to take a better job in Seattle. It wasn't far, but far enough that he wasn't able to just drop by for dinner anymore. But I was young and adoption agencies didn't like young people. They wanted older people, in steady relationships, with stable homes and such. Not a young single woman, a few years out of college who was just about to start her own business._

_I had taken a day off when id met her. I was walking through the park. And she'd come running up to me a whirl of colour and energy with a brilliant smile on her face. _

"_I'm Alice." She'd introduced herself with no preliminaries. _

_After a short chat and a cup of coffee in a local cafe she looked at me seriously. "I know you think I'm odd" she stated "but I had to speak to you."_

"_Had to?" I asked. I was so confused. The fourteen year old girl in front of me mystified and baffled me beyond belief. But there was something enchanting about her and I couldn't help but be taken under her spell._

"_Yes, had to." She repeated with an air of confidence and then she withdrew a battered looking book from her bag and flicked through the pages quickly. I caught glances of the pictures, some black and white and flowing, others bright and luminous. I realised it was her sketchbook. She paused at one page about halfway through, turned the book around and pushed it towards me. _

_I gasped. _

"_I drew it months ago." She told me softly as my eyes took in the image._

_It was a picture of me and her. Walking arm in arm down a street, arms laden with shopping bags, and eating what looked like candy canes, both of us smiling broadly. _

"_You drew me?" I asked not sure what I should or could say._

"_I do that a lot. Draw people before I meet them. Draw events before they happen. It's so strange. I don't really understand it." I had just looked at her, utterly perplexed._

_I had found out that she was an orphan. Living in an orphanage around the corner from the park where we had met. And I went back with her to talk to the people who worked there. I visited Alice two or three times a week from then on. She was so much fun to be around. I couldn't stay away. She was like the little sister I'd always wanted but never had. By the end of that year the necessary paperwork had gone through and the requirements had been met and Alice moved in with me. I was shocked they'd allowed me to adopt, I had been told that it was as much as impossible. But I wasn't going to argue with their decision._

_We had laughed as we had gone shopping for Christmas presents and at the time we didn't know but if they had taken a photograph as we walked out of Starbucks each nibbling delicately on a candy cane it would've matched perfectly to the drawing that was currently hanging framed in Alice's room._

I smiles as my memories came to an end. My eyes flashed to the framed drawing and my smile widened. _It's strange_, I thought, _the things that can change your life_. But I didn't want the reason Alice and I had become a family to be the same reason we were forced apart. And Mr Cullen was a direct threat to that possibility. He was very nosy, incredibly gorgeous and undeniably sexy and fascinating in more ways than I can count, but nosy. Alice had promised not to draw in his classes anymore though, and I believed her. So worrying would do me no good now.

"Be ready to leave for school in half an hour." I said as I left my daughter's room. I still couldn't believe she was up this early and as I switched on the coffee pot I wondered idly if Satan had had to shovel snow off his drive this morning.

APOV

"Morning Jazz." I greeted my favourite person in the world with a wide smile.

"Morning" he repeated and drew me close for our usual morning hug. I breathed deeply as he held me to his chest. It was one of the most comforting things I'd ever experienced, being in Japer's arms. He let me go, realising we couldn't just stand here all day; we had a class to get to after all. So he settled for linking his fingers through mine as we walked towards the school.

"So how'd your mom's meeting with Mr Ass go?" he asked me smiling.

"Ok." I told him. "She wasn't mad at me, anyway." I told him "She was just concerned."

"Concerned, why?" he asked, a frown wrinkling his forehead.

"She thinks he showed way too much interest in my drawings." I explained, knowing he'd understand. Jasper knew all about my artwork. After all I'd drawn him too.

"You think he knows?" concern showed plainly on his face now.

"No, not yet at any rate. But I'll still be leaving my sketchbook in my bag during physics from now on." I told him.

"I think that's a good idea." He admitted. "You know what else is a good idea?" he asked me.

"No, what?" I asked.

"You, telling your mom about us" He replied.

"Telling her what?" I really didn't want to have this conversation.

"That we are 'together'" he said simply.

"Why does she have to know?" I asked. I didn't want to let the rest of the world in yet. I was happy.

"Because we are going to be spending a lot of our time together and if you don't tell her she'll be suspicious. Plus, if she found out from someone else she'd be devastated." He did have a point. If someone else was the one to tell her I had a boyfriend she'd be hurt that I didn't confide in her.

"Fine, I'll tell her." I conceded.

"Don't sound too enthusiastic." He said harshly.

"Hey! Why the attitude?" I didn't understand his mood swing.

"Do you realise how you sound right now? Anyone would think you're ashamed of being with me" he said softly in a hurt tone.

Oh, I thought. I honestly didn't realise that was how I sounded. I needed to reassure him that that wasn't the case. My mind quickly settled on the quickest way.

"Would I do this if I was ashamed?" I asked him and then I leant in and pressed my lips to his, in the middle of the school parking lot. He responded quickly, wrapping his arms around my waist and pulling me close. We pulled apart after hearing a couple of cat calls and wolf whistles.

"I'll tell Bella tonight." I promised.

Satisfied with my promise, he put his arm around my waist and walked me to class.

BPOV

I'd had a productive afternoon. I always took Wednesday afternoons off. I got all my chores and errands taken care of on Wednesday afternoons. I paid my bills, cleaned the house, stocked the fridge and took care of any laundry.

This last job took me to Alice's room. I loved her room. It had been a little bare when she'd first moved in with me but over the last two years it had transformed and was so 'Alice' now that it didn't even look like the same room anymore. Most of the walls were covered with pictures, some of them where hers, others were by famous artists, and a few I didn't recognise at all. Everything in the room was a bright colour and the furniture and all of Alice's possessions were quirky and unique. The room suited my daughter perfectly.

I put away several pairs of pyjamas in her dresser where they belonged and hung a dress in her wardrobe. Unlike most teenagers I knew Alice wouldn't have problem with me being in her room whilst she wasn't here. I picked up the laundry basket and went to leave the room but as I passed by her desk, something caught my eye and I moved closer to get a better look.

Lots of pieces of paper were scattered across the desk along with pencils, brushes and pots of ink. It wasn't a piece of paper on top that had caught my attention in was one that was partially covered. I pulled back the paper on top to see the image properly... and promptly dropped the laundry basket on my feet.

My hand reached out to grasp the piece of paper and shook as I lifted it close to my face. My mind was trying to decide if my eyes were working correctly. Because the image showed a scene I had dreamed about, fantasised about but had not believed held any place in reality. It was a picture of me, wrapped in the arms of the one and only Edward Cullen and there was no mistaking it, his lips were against mine, and my hands were entwined in his hair in what was obviously a passionate kiss. The mere thought that this scene could, no _would,_ happen made my knee's a little week. If Alice had drawn this it wasn't a case of _if_ it happened. It was just a case of _when._

**OK, so please let me know what you think, I worked hard on this and want to know what you think about it so please review. Oh and next chapter will include Alice and Bella's Japer discussion and Seth's birthday party. Plenty of Reviews make me want to update quicker. **


	4. Chapter 4

**So I'd like to say thank you to those of you who were sweet enough to review the last chapter. You guys are angels**

**I do have an apology to make- there isn't any Bella-Edward action in this chapter, I wanted to get into the characters history a little more first. **

**Disclaimer- if I owned Twilight I wouldn't be writing this. All the characters belong to the wonderfully talented S Meyer**

Chapter 4- A heart to heart, a Party and a Goodbye

Bella went to work that evening still thinking about the picture. Her head was filled with the possibility of kissing Edward, or the certainty of kissing Edward (depending on how you looked at it). It made concentrating on work a difficult task. Being distracted in a busy kitchen is not a good idea. In fact it's pretty downright stupid. There are plenty of ways to cut, bruise and set fire to yourself in a kitchen, all it takes is a tiny slip of your attention, for a fraction of a second and your sleeve goes up in flames, or you slice your thumb. If anyone knew this it was Bella. Poor, clumsy, accident prone Bella. By all rights she should have warned the other staff of her possible increase in clumsiness caused by distractions in her own head but when she thought of how that speech would go she decided it probably wasn't a good idea. It would be an interesting staff meeting, that's for sure.

"I'm going to be a little off tonight so I'll need you to pick up the slack, that's why I pay you so much."

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing really, I just found out that I'm going to kiss this gorgeous guy at some point in the future."

"Doesn't sound like a problem to me."

"He's Alice's teacher."

"Oh. And how do you know your going to kiss him?"

"It doesn't matter."

Yeah that would be a very interesting conversation. There'd be talk of an intervention. I'd be suspected of drug use or going crazy from over-doing it.

It wasn't like the idea of kissing Edward was bad, quite the opposite, it was the most intriguing idea she'd had recently. She was just confused how they got from here to there. At the moment she didn't think it would even be possible. I mean, when was the last time she'd kissed a guy? It'd been a while. She was having a dry patch in the romance department lately. Not that she'd ever been swimming in men. In fact her romantic history was remarkably depressing.

She'd had a boyfriend in high school. They'd gone to prom together, lost their virginities together and broken up once they started college and were exposed to a much wider world and social circle than the tiny town of Forks allowed. There had been a few guys at college, but none that had stuck around for long. And since college there had only been a few first dates. She'd been focusing on work so much that love had taken up a permanent place on the shelf in her head marked 'stuff to do later'. If she was being honest she had trouble remembering the last time she'd kissed someone but it was damn near impossible to remember the last time she'd gotten laid. It was amazing she hadn't been invited to the nunnery yet.

But all of a sudden there was this whole new romantic possibility. The possibility of Edward Cullen. And she wanted it. Wanted it like she hadn't in a long time. She had never been one to crave the company of others. She was too much like her dad to like being crowded by people. She had friends, she had colleagues and she had Alice. She'd never needed the comfort of a lover, a partner, but she wanted it now. She wasn't sure if it was just because she was bound to want it eventually or if it was because of Edward, but she didn't care, she wanted it.

So the thought of it plagued her all week. Whilst she worked and whilst she slept, whilst she ate and whilst she bathed. There were very few moments when her mind was not occupied by Edward-freaking-Cullen and his piercing eyes and indescribable smell, his strong arms and musical voice. She was thankful for the perceptiveness of her employees as they kept took on more responsibilities to limit her number of accidents. And she was grateful of Alice for not asking her what was wrong.

Alice would always wait for Bella to come to her to 'talk'. She understood Bella's need to think things through by herself and get to grips with an idea first before seeking any outside guidance. But she would always go to Alice for help. Even if all she could do was listen. She really was Bella's best friend. They'd never talked about relationships before. But Alice had never drawn her kissing anyone before either (at least not that she knew of).

On Friday night she felt she couldn't put it off any longer and when she and Alice walked through their front door at 11:30 at night after working at the restaurant all-night and taking care of clean up Bella said softly "Alice, can I talk to you about something?"

"Of course, you can talk to me about anything, but is this a kitchen counter and coffee talk, or a sofa and ice-cream talk?"

"Definitely sofa and ice cream" Bella admitted and laughed as she retrieved the cookie dough ice cream and two spoons from the kitchen before settling down on the couch with Alice ready to bare her soul.

Alice's POV

I'd known this talk was coming. Damn it! Why hadn't she told her about it first? She'd promised Jasper she'd do it on Wednesday but Bella had been so distracted all week, Alice was sure she was stressed out about work and didn't want to add to her surely rising blood pressure by dropping the 'first boyfriend' bomb on her right now. But it seems she had already found out. Damn this small town full of gossiping old women!

"So what do you want to talk about?" I asked. Deciding the best way to proceed was to get it over with quickly.

"Well, I don't know where to start." Bella seemed nervous. Why would she be nervous? Upset I could understand and angry but why would she be nervous about me not telling her about my first relationship? Was I wrong? Was this about something else?

"Why don't you just start at the beginning." I told her.

"Okay. But you can't get mad at me" she said. Mad? Now I definitely knew she was talking about something else. Something very non Jasper-and-me related.

"Okay, I promise not to get mad." I told her.

She took a breath. "I almost kissed your teacher on Tuesday." She blurted out in a rush.

"You what!" I said in mock fury, not being able to resist winding her up a little. Of course I had known for several weeks that Bella and Mr Ass would have a 'thing' but I wasn't going to say anything until she wanted me to.

"You promised not to get mad" she whined, a little hurt and, judging by the colour her cheeks were turning, a little embarrassed too.

"I'm just kidding, carry on." I said trying to appease her.

"Well we had that meeting on Tuesday and I tripped and he caught me and I swear the way he looked at me, he was going to kiss me before that bell went. And then on Wednesday I was putting things away in your room, and I swear I wasn't snooping Alice, you know I respect your privacy and everything, but the drawing was just sitting there on top of your desk and it caught my eye and it's been bothering me all week" she said in a rush.

"What drawing?" I did a mental check of everything I'd drawn lately. Then narrowed it down to things that involved Edward and then, before her answer, I realised which one she had seen, the one of them kissing. This conversation was about to get interesting.

"One of me kissing Edward...Mr Cullen." She corrected her use of his name, but it was too late. She was already thinking of him in first name terms. Maybe the kiss was closer than I had thought.

"And... what do you think?" I asked. Honestly curious how she felt about it.

"I... I.... I don't know how we get to that point." She said shakily.

"But you want to?" I asked coyly.

"Yes." She admitted, after a long pause, not looking up to meet my eyes.

"Well then you just need to have a little faith." I told her.

"Alice, you've lived with me for almost two years. You know I've barely even dated in that time. What makes you think I have the confidence that I'll need to make this happen?" she asked

That was an easy question to answer. I took another spoonful of ice cream before answering. It really was the perfect comfort food. "Bella, every image I've ever created has happened, and maybe I've become too sure of their certainty, but that's what I'm going to be until I'm proved wrong. If this is what you want then I have complete faith you'll be able to do this." I tell her.

"And you won't be at all bothered by the idea of me being with your teacher?" she asks me.

"Oh, completely" I say smiling. "But I want you to be happy and if Mr Ass is what it takes to do that then I'll deal."

"Mr Ass?" she asks arching her eyebrow at me.

Crap! I didn't realise I'd slipped up "Pet name." I say quietly by way of explanation.

To my surprise she laughed. She did this so rarely it was a big deal when she did. The sugar from the ice cream must be having a good effect on her. I decided that I should probably bring up my own situation now, before she really could hear it from somewhere else. I took a calming breath, not unlike Bella had when she had prepared herself to tell me her news and began.

"Bella, I have something I'd like to tell you about too..."

Bella's POV

"Sure kiddo... what's on your mind?" I asked. This was new. Alice barely ever had anything to tell me formally.

"Well, I'm kind of dating this guy..." she trailed off looking unsure of how to continue

"And..." I say encouraging her to carry on.

"Well aren't you going to tell me I'm too young to date or something?" she asked.

"Alice you're sixteen. It would be weird if you didn't date. And what sort of a hypocrite would I be if I had a problem with it. The only issue I have is that I obviously don't know him. What is he like?"I ask genuinely interested.

"His name is Jasper Whitlock. He's got blond hair that curls and hangs in front of his eyes and these sweet, understanding eyes and a smile that makes me all flustered. He's clever and he likes art and is so easy to talk to. He's patient and thoughtful and incredibly talented." She listed off all of these attributes without pausing. She obviously had it bad for this kid. Jasper Whitlock, where did I know the name from?

"Well, will I get to meet the mysterious boy who obviously has you all crushed out?" I ask.

"You want to meet him?" She says, raising her eyebrows.

"Sure, I have to make sure he's good enough for you." I say in a very parent-like way. "Why don't you invite him for lunch on Sunday? It'll be very casual, I promise." I say, trying to be reassuring.

"I'll ask him." She says finally, pouting a little.

"Hey, I'm entitled to this. You have to get best friends approval right?" I say smiling and having another bite of ice-cream.

"Yeah I guess" she says smiling back at me. "I have an idea of how to get you and Mr As- I mean Cullen, together..." she says suddenly.

"Oh and how's that?" I ask sceptically. Not all of Alice's plans are fool proof... or me proof, for that matter.

"There's a fete at school next week, fundraising for the big Christmas dance next Saturday. You could man a stall at the fete selling some of that chocolate cake you make at the restaurant. It would be great advertising, parents always come to these things in droves and it would put you in close proximity to your guy."

It wasn't a bad plan. And the advertising for the restaurant would be good, especially leading up to the busy Christmas period. And I'd be close to Edward and with all those other parents and students around it wouldn't be very threatening environment. I could just talk to him a little and worry about the kiss thing a little later.

"Okay, sure. I could do that." I tell her sounding about as sure as I felt.

Edward's POV (Saturday)

I hate driving to Emmet's place. It's not ridiculously far away but I have three hours in a car with nothing to distract me from my thoughts. And when I visit my brother the only thoughts I have are how annoying it will be to spend time with my family. The only upside to this was that I got to see my nephew. Seth was a great little kid. He'd be a troublemaker like his dad when he got older, but for now he was just a little character.

I smiled as I glanced to the back seat of the car. Alice Swan's little picture had been slightly helpful (even if it was weird) I'd gone out and bought a perfect match to the fire truck I had seen in the drawing and wrapped it in shiny silver paper. Next to the present was my guitar case. I always took it with me to family gatherings for two reasons. They all like to hear me play, my mother especially, and because when I was playing I wasn't expected to talk.

I pulled up at the front of Emmett and Rose's place. I've always loved this place. It's the kind of house I see myself in some day. It puts my apartment to shame. But I wouldn't want a place like this right now. It would seem so empty with just me. This is the sort home you need a family for.

I grab my guitar and gift and make my way up the drive. Before I make it three steps my knees make contact with two feet of energy. My little pint sized mascot. "Hey buddy!" I say to him, putting down my stuff and dropping down to his level. "God you've grown. How big are you now?"

"I only seem bigger because you don't come see me enough." He tells me looking me dead in the eye. The kid got his dads honest gene.

"I know kiddo and I'm sorry" I apologise. "But I'm her now- when it counts and... I bought a gift" I hand him the shiny silver package.

His eyes gleam as he holds it in his hands. "Cool!" he runs into the house yelling to his mom. "Look what Uncle Eddy bought." Emmett came out to great me.

"Bro, you made it!" he sounded surprised.

"I said I'd come didn't I?"

"Yeah but I stopped believing that line ages ago." He tells me seriously.

"I wouldn't miss his birthday" I reply honestly.

"I know you wouldn't and I'm glad your here. So glad, in fact that when mom starts pestering you about your continuing status as a bachelor I have a little bombshell to drop that will make her forget all about it" he tells me, a smug smile spreading across his face.

"Well come on then, out with it. Don't leave me in suspense." I say jokingly.

"Rose is expecting again." He says triumphantly grinning like the cat that got the cream.

"Really? I'm so happy for you" I couldn't be more pleased for them. Rose and Emmett wore born to be parents. They seemed to get so much joy out of the mundane, every day process of being a family and loving each other so completely. They made it seem like a piece of cake. Not like any of my relationships had ever been.

I was truly a lost cause when it came to women. The ones I wanted had never stuck around for long and the ones that wanted me were often crazy. Emmett just insisted I hadn't met the right women yet. He's always been so optimistic about my love life. He says when it happens for me. It'll be like a lightning strike. I'll know straight away. Because that's the way I have always been. I make decisions instantly, as soon as I know what I want. I wonder what Em would say if he knew that for the last four nights my dreams have been plagued by a dark haired beauty I just couldn't get out of my head. He'd probably book the chapel, which is precisely why I have no plans to tell him anything of the sort.

"Let's get this party started shall we?" I say as we head inside the house and we are greeted by the smell of something so perfect it could only be rose's chicken. My sister-in-law was no great cook. But her chicken was perfect and living on a diet of take-out and meals-for-one I could truly appreciate the meal in a way others couldn't.

"Rose, it's so good to see you." I say as she came into view. I wrap my arms around her and whisper in her ear "Em just told me, congratulations."

She pulled back and smiled. "He was supposed to keep his fat mouth shut" she smacked by brothers arm playfully.

"He's just excited" I defend him, though god know why, Em's always been a big kid and unable to keep a secret for very long.

"I know, that's why I've already forgiven him. How are you?" she says turning her attention to me.

"Oh, same as always I guess, though I continue to be astounded by the lack of concentration in high school students" I Say light-heartedly.

"I bet. Chicken?" she offers the plate out to me and I take a leg.

"I thought you'd never ask." I say then bite into the meat. "You spoil me, Rose" I compliment as I make short work of the food."

"Well I thought that maybe if I feed you, you'd show up more" she says.

"Oh come on, your son has already given me a hard time, not you too."

"Speaking of which its present time" she announces and leads me through to the sitting room. Where Seth sits, party hat balanced precariously on top of his blond curls, grinning like a Cheshire cat.

And then everything seemed to happen in slow motion. He reached for the first gift- mine. He pulled it towards himself and tore at the paper with skill and enthusiasm, as the item underneath was revealed his eyes lit up like a Christmas tree and I could pin-point the moment the scene looked exactly like Alice's Swans drawing. You could have knocked me down with a feather. The thought this made me consider was crazy. The Swan girl was psychic! Even thinking it made me feel stupid. There was no such thing! Entertaining the thought was moronic. But if it wasn't the case, then how had she drawn a boy she'd never seen, in a situation that hadn't happened until now, days later. It made me dizzy thinking about it. So I put it out of my mind and tried to enjoy my nephew's excitement.

[Later]

As the party was winding down and parents were arriving to collect their kids I sat on the wall in the back garden, Guitar on my knee, strumming out a tune I knew so well I barely and to think about it. My fingers knew the route so well my thoughts could take a course of their own. And I wasn't distracted by conversation with others, so I could think.

Unfortunately for me my thoughts since Tuesday had been a little dominated by a mahogany haired seductress with tempting brown eyes. I hate that I'm so distracted by her. I mean please... what was it that had me so fascinated? I couldn't figure it out.

"So who is she?" Emmett's words cut through my thoughts and my fingers stilled on the strings of my guitar.

"Who is who?" I ask back.

"Dude, don't play dumb. I know that look. The guys in my office wear it several times a week. There's a woman behind that look. I know it." Emmett's always been perceptive. I'll give him that. But there's no way I'm telling him a thing if I can help it.

"It's no-one." I say hoping he'd get the hint and drop the subject.

"I say it is. Who is she?"

"Look, if it turns out she is some-one. I'll let you know." I said. That seemed to please him.

"You promise?" he asks.

"Scouts honour." I tell him.

"You were never a boy scout." He says laughing

"Yeah well neither were you." I reply chuckling along with him.

"I'll drop it for now bro but for the record, she must be pretty special... you haven't played that song in a while..." and leaving me with that though he wandered back inside. I haven't played this song in a while. It had always been one of my favourites but I never played it anymore. Not since.... well it didn't matter now.

Jasper's POV (Sunday afternoon)

"Well I had a great time, thank you for inviting me Miss Swan," I say politely still in my 'make a good impression' mode.

"It's Bella, and it's been wonderful meeting you Jasper. Your Welcome back anytime you like." She smiles, warm and genuine, that must mean I'd done a good job. Alice walked me to the door.

"You did very well." She tells me smiling and throwing her arms around me in delight. I'm not sure I'll ever get used to her excessive enthusiasm about everything but I'm pretty sure I'll never get tired of it either. I hug her back tightly.

"You think?" I ask in her ear.

"Are you kidding?" she asks rhetorically, pulling back to look at me but not taking her hands from around my neck." She loved you; you were the perfect gentleman all afternoon." She told me.

"Well if you have a problem with that i can be not so gentleman-like now." I say leaning over to kiss her neck.

"Jasper!" she says in mock outrage and she slaps me away playfully. "There will be plenty of time for that tomorrow. Right now you need to go home and finish that paper for history that I know you haven't started." Usually I loved it when she got all bossy, but right now it was irritating.

"Whatever you say, Alice" I say defeated.

"Hey, I promise I'll make it up to you tomorrow." She says smiling. I'm intrigued.

"How?" I ask.

"Where would the fun be if I told you? Use your imagination and I'll see you tomorrow." She said sexily and leaned in for a kiss goodbye. I quickly obliged. Kissing Alice was one of my new favourite things to do and believe me I'd be imagining all the ways she would make it up to me all night.

**So don't forget to review and let me know what you think... I have the rest of the story planned out and should be 15 chapters unless I have some sort of awesome idea that makes it longer.**


	5. Chapter 5

**I wanted to take a second to thank all of you for your reviews; they make all the difference to my mood when I write. Seriously I love logging in the day after posting and reading all of your kind words. You're so good to me. It reminds me of when I got some assignments back and they said stuff like 'an enjoyable read' and I was like really? It was about constructivism- that's not enjoyable. And another said I was 'interesting and thought provoking' this totally went to my head and so do all your reviews. I basically go round all day with a smile on my face thinking 'they think I'm original'. That one actually was a shock because I didn't think I was being that original and I was worried you guys might think I'd been watching too much heroes. Anyway enough with my ranting thanks and on with the reason your reading-enjoy.**

Disclaimer- you no the drill, not mine, never was and never will be (sigh).

Chapter 5

BPOV

I was frantic. I knew that. But it didn't stop me from throwing another article of clothing behind my head to join most of my clothes on the floor of my room. I was going to see him in less than two hours and I had no idea what to wear. I needed outside help. I grabbed a jeans and cute sweater combo in one hand and a dress and cardigan outfit in the other and marched across the landing to Alice's room.

She was sat at her desk when I walked in, packing brushes and other items into a 'tool box'. She was going to school today too, to work on her art stuff but she refused to use the schools supplies.

"Help!" I squeaked as I walked in the door. I held up the two possible outfits and waited for her assessment.

"The jeans, because if you wear that dress you'll need heels, and you don't want to be all clumsy today. Wearing flats gives you one less thing to worry about." This was a fair summation. In my school-girl like panic I hadn't even thought about shoe choices. My mind reeled as I was faced with this completely new problem.

"Bells, you need to calm down." Alice told me. She was right, of course she was. I just didn't know if I could handle this. It would be so much easier if I had never seen that picture, damn stupid psychic daughter! I closed my eyes, took a deep calming breath and counted to ten. When I opened my eyes again I was more in control. I was still freaking out, but in a less obvious way.

"Now go get dressed, your going to be late." I ran anxiously from Alice's room and into mine. I practically forced myself to get dressed, brushed my hair and teeth and surveyed myself i the bathroom mirror. After a short internal debate I decided a little mascara and lip gloss never hurt anyone. Then I got my bag together and ready to leave.

Alice was already waiting for me in the car. Cool as a cucumber. Well of course she was. She had nothing to worry about. Lucky untroubled teenager!

Meanwhile...

Edward observed the gymnasium. Fifty little tables were set out around the large room and any minute now people would start showing up to set up their contributions to this little fundraiser. Almost every business in town was participating this year. Edward had smiled inwardly when he had read of a certain businesses involvement.

He'd get to see her today. He liked the idea more than he cared to admit. But he was unsure weather to let slip the incident that had occurred during the weekend with her. He didn't want it to seem like he was threatening her with his new found knowledge but at the same time he wanted answers. And what if he'd gotten it all wrong and it had been some crazy co-incidence. She'd think he was nuts.

He decided to play it by ear and if the subject came up during conversation then he'd tell her because he was definitely going to talk to her today. He wouldn't let that opportunity pass. If he could spend some time with her maybe he could figure out what his subconscious found so interesting because the dreams had not stopped. Not even close. In fact they were getting worse. Last nights torturous vision had been quite graphic and he'd needed another cold shower this morning. It was getting silly. He hadn't had to resort to such measures since he had been a horny, irrational teenager. Now he didn't have any out of control hormones to blame.

He decided to focus on setting up his little part in today's activity. He had a list of all the songs he knew printed on a sheet of paper. People would pay to request the songs they wanted to hear and he'd play them. He'd done the same thing last year and he'd earned quite a pretty sum. It was just a shame that the proceeds went towards the end of year dance. He'd had his eye on this microscope for the lab and his takings would have gone a fair way to securing its purchase. But at least this year he would get to see the results of his hard work. He'd been cajoled into chaperoning the dance. He wasn't sure how it had happened. He maintained that he'd been tricked somehow and was sure that cookies had been involved in the persuading process. He never could resist a really good peanut butter cookie. But it made him angry that others not only knew of his weakness but used it to exploit him.

As predicted others began to show up and set up little booths and tables. The post office had brought in a bunch of their end-of-season stock to sell, the cinema had provided a variety of merchandise for sale, and there were a number of food stalls and games being set up. It looked like the students and parents were in for an interesting day.

EPOV

I was chatting with Ben about the additions to my playlist this year when she walked in. I've never been more distracted. She was wearing a navy blue sweater that hugged her waist and accentuated her cleavage and jeans that fit so well I could tell that my imaginations version of her legs hadn't been far wrong. She was carrying a large box and tripped over something as she walked through the door, she caught herself before she fell flat on her face but I smiled at the familiarity of her clumsiness. She blushed as she carried on walking towards the table marked with her name. I'd never seen something more endearing in my life.

Ben seemed to sense our talk was over and wondered off to talk to another colleague. I decided to act like I was tuning my guitar but placed my chair where I could see her perfectly and she set out tablecloths over her table and arranged menu's and business cards. One of her co-workers had followed her in with the food. A wise choice, I thought, if she had brought it in and fallen face down like she almost had the food would have been ruined.

I had eaten at Swans before and the food was delicious but I couldn't help but wonder what she had brought with her today. I knew I'd make my way over there later in the day but I couldn't help but lean to the side to try and get a better view of the food she was arranging on the plate. I wasn't paying enough attention to anything but her delicate hands and the way she bit her lip as she carefully arranged the food and I slipped right off my chair and onto the floor with a resounding crash that had every eye in the room turning in my direction and all the students (and some of the parents) were laughing loudly at my expense. Dear god this woman was making me as clumsy as she was! That's when I noticed her eyes were on me.

BPOV

I'd noticed him the minute I'd walked in the door. Of course I had. But I kept my looking on a peripheral basis only. I didn't want him knowing the effect he had on me and I definitely didn't want him to see me staring at him. I was just thinking how embarrassing it would be for that to happen when I tripped on something. I managed to not fall face down-arse up but my cheeks still heated up anyway. At least I had an excuse for my clumsiness today. It was Edward related. It wasn't an excuse I could tell people but it was nice to have a reason for once. Usually my lack of co-ordination had no excuse. I couldn't blame it on genetics. Charlie needed perfect co-ordination in order to be allowed a gun and Renee would not be able to do all that yoga unless her balance was near perfect. No my lack of grace was all mine.

I concentrated instead on making it to the table without injury and began setting up. I'd brought the 'good' tablecloths we used on our VIP tables and I'd brought menus and business cards to put with every purchase. The more future business I got out of today the better. Mike joined me not long after with boxes full of the chocolate éclairs and selection of biscuits I'd spent all day yesterday preparing. It had been fun going back to baking after so long. I rarely did any cooking at the restaurant; I was too busy running the show. So it was nice to get to do some actual chef work and experiment with a few new biscuit recipes I had been dying to try out for a while.

I was arranging the biscuits on a plate when I heard a crash to my left and looked over to see what all the commotion was about. As I turned my head my ears were greeted with a chorus of laughter and I couldn't help but join in when my eyes found the source of the mirth. Edward was sprawled on the floor with his guitar looking dazed and confused and had obviously just fallen from his chair. I wish I had seen the actual fall. I bet it was classic. I was still chortling quietly when he looked up and his eyes met mine.

My breath escaped my lips in an audible whoosh as those eyes I had been thinking of most of the past week bore into mine and seemed to hypnotise me. I knew I was staring but I couldn't seem to drag my eyes away. He looked away first as he gathered his instrument and got up off the floor. This made it easier for me to get back to work. I decided to work from the other side of the table. If my back was to him then I didn't have any chance of eye contact and couldn't be caught off guard like that again.

[Later]

"So I'll take half a dozen éclairs and the same of the coconut creams." Mrs Johnson told me.

"Of course." I boxed up the treats and slipped a menu and business card inside and handed Miss Johnson her purchases with a smile. She gave the cash to Mike and moved away with a smile. Business was really booming today "And what can I do for you." I asked turning around to face my next customer and almost tripping when I saw who it was.

"Are those peanut butter by any chance?" he asked me pointing towards a plate on the table. I glanced down to check, momentarily unable to remember what cookies I did and didn't have. They were.

"Yes they are." I said politely. My voice was shaking a little but I decided to ignore it. He smiled.

"I'll take a dozen." He said. I boxed them up carefully and as usual slipped a menu inside. I hesitated at the business card tough- was this like me giving him my number- no it was professional. I slipped it in too and smiled at him. "I'll see you later?" he asked me handing mike a ten dollar bill.

"Sure" I answered nervously, nodding my head. Mike handed Edward his change and after flashing me the briefest of heart melting smiles he was gone and my attention was needed by the next customer.

About an hour later I decided to take a break and have a look at the other stalls. I figured Mike could last without me for a while and after clearing it with him I set off around the room. I bought a few books, won a tiny stuffed panda from playing darts and watched some students throw pies at a Mr Mills. A teacher who had been here when I was a student and I took great pleasure as one pie landed him square in the face. '_That's for every red cross you put on my papers'_ I thought to myself slyly.

Eventually and probably inevitably I ended up standing in front of the most beautiful man imaginable as he played a soft sweet tune and sang the words. It was a song I'd never heard before but it was beautiful. Watching him play was mesmerizing. His fingers tugged gently on the strings and his eyes focused on the sheet music in front of him but his face was lit up in pure bliss and a person would have to be blind not to see that he loved playing. When the song ended he closed his eyes for a moment and then looked up.

"Anything you'd like to hear Miss Swan?" he asked me his eyes boring into mine.

"I'm not sure" I replied taking the song list from the table in front of him. My eyes scanned the hundred or so listed songs. Some I knew well, some I had never heard of. "I can't choose" I admitted putting the sheet back down.

"Well pick a number between one and a hundred" he prompted. The flirt in me wanted to say sixty-nine but my sensible side ignored it and answered "Thirty-four."

He picked up the sheet and scanned down the list to find the thirty fourth song and his lips twitched up at the sides. He removed the sheet music from the stand in front of him, but didn't replace it with any more. It must be a song he knows well then.

And then he started to play.

"Each day through my window  
I watch her as she passes by  
I say to myself  
"You're such a lucky guy"

To have a girl like her  
Is truly a dream come true  
Out of all of the fella's in the world  
She belongs to you

But it was just my imagination  
Running away with me  
It was just my imagination  
Running away with me"

I knew the song. Renee had played it a lot when I was a kid.

"(Soon) Soon we'll be married  
And raise a family, whoa yeah  
A cosy, little home out in the country  
With two children, maybe three

I tell you I can visualize it all  
This couldn't be a dream  
For too real it all seems

But it was just my imagination, once again  
Running away with me  
I tell you it was just my imagination  
Running away with me

Every night, on my knees I pray  
"Dear Lord, hear my plea  
Don't ever let another take her love from me  
Or I will surely die"

Ooh, her love is heavenly  
When her arms enfold me  
I hear a tender rhapsody  
But in reality, she doesn't even know me

Just my imagination, once again  
Running away with me  
I tell you it was just my imagination  
Running away with me  
I never met her, but I can't forget her

Just my imagination  
(Ooh yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah)  
Running away with me  
It was just my imagination"

The crowd around me broke into applause, I joined in speechless.

"Thank you." He said to the crowd "I'm going to take a short break" he put his guitar on its stand and stood up and walked towards me.

"What did you think?" he asked me smiling in a way that made me breathless.

"Your very talented." I replied honestly.

"Thank you." He said. "So I want to tell ask you something but I'm afraid you'll take offence or think I'm seriously unhinged." He said slowly. This got my interest.

"I promise to not get offended or make judgements." I assured him, not sure if this was true.

"It's about Alice's artwork." He said and paused, no doubt to judge my reaction. "But I want you to know, no matter what, I won't say a thing to anyone, I promise you."

I felt like I had the wind knocked out of me. He knew. How did he know? What had changed since our meeting a week ago? But he was promising not to tell anyone. This could still end well.

"What do you _think_ you know?" I asked seriously, stressing the word think.

"It's probably better if I explain. You know I saw Alice's drawing of a little boy at a birthday party?" he asked me and I nodded. He continued "Well that little boy was my nephew, Seth and his birthday was this weekend." Maybe he saw the horror-stricken look on my face because he seemed to know his suspicions were right. "Alice draws things that haven't happened yet." He said simply. So he did know, damn. "I won't tell anyone. I'm just curious." He told me.

"About what?" I asked.

"Does she do this a lot?" well there was no point lying now. I looked around, to check no-one else was listening to the conversation.

"Pretty much all the time." I admitted.

"Wow!" he seemed in shock. But I didn't know whether that was because of what Alice could do or because I was admitting it.

"Yeah, I had pretty much the same reaction myself." I told him with a small smile.

"I bet."

"So you're really not going to say anything?" I needed confirmation.

"Hand on heart. I promise." That would have to be good enough.

EPOV

So I had told her. That was the hard point over. She seemed ok about it but I could be wrong. I was just relieved that I wasn't going completely psycho. Or at least if I was, so was she.

She'd gone back to her table now and I ought to get back to my post as well. On my way back to my guitar I came across Bill. Bill was the member of staff who'd pulled the short straw and ended up at the staff member on the dance committee.

"How's it going?" he asked me

"Not too bad." I replied thinking of the eighty or so dollars I'd taken. "How goes the plans for Saturday?" I asked more out of politeness than actual curiosity.

"OK. The kids are debating how much crepe paper we actually need and we're still a few chaperones short." He complained.

I had an idea "Why don't you ask Bella Swan?" I suggested.

"Alice's mom?"

"Yeah that's the one."

"Do you think she'll do it?" he asked me.

"She might, no harm in asking right?" I tried to sound indifferent.

"I guess not, see you later Ed." And with that he walked off in the direction of Bella's table. And a couple of minutes late when I looked over at her table and saw her nodding at Bill and Bill walking away looking pleased with himself I knew she'd agreed to it. So now I knew when I'd be seeing her again.

[Meanwhile]

Alice Pov

We were so lucky to get to use the art room today. As Mrs Holden's favourite students she'd given us the key and permission to use whatever we wanted. It was really lucky that the school had decided to have this thing on a weekday or we'd never have been able to use this space. Of course they'd tack another day of school on somewhere in the year to make up for it but we'd live.

I worked on setting up my easel whilst I waited for Jasper to get here. I had a bit of a request to make of him and although I knew what the outcome would be I did wonder what his initial reaction would be like.

I was sorting out the paints I wanted when he walked in looking incredible in the scruffy clothes he wore for painting. A battered old Guns and roses T-shirt covered in paint and ink and jeans that looked like they'd seen much better days. His hair had fallen into his eyes as usual and he pushed it back from his face to see me better.

"Hi beautiful" he greeted. I must admit I liked the compliments that came with being in a relationship. "What5 are we working on today then?" he asked. We usually helped each other out with projects and took turns in deciding what we would work on.

"I want to get a start on that life-drawing project I was talking to Mrs Holden about on Monday." I said innocently enough. "Would you model for me?" I asked.

"Sure I could do that." He said eagerly enough. He didn't like it much when my requests meant he wouldn't get any work of his own done but he never complained. "Do you want me to dress up for it? I could go raid the drama cupboard. "He offered,

Now came the hard bit. "Actually Jazz, I was hoping you'd dress down." I studied his face closely for his reaction. He seemed confused.

"What do you mean?" a suspicious note crept into his voice as he thought through my request.

"Well I was hoping I could persuade you to go shirtless for me." I said keeping my tone playful.

"You're kidding?" he asked me seriously.

"No I'm not. Don't tell me you're embarrassed." I asked teasing now.

"No, of course I'm not embarrassed." He said in a way that clearly meant that he was.

"You know I've already seen you naked right?" I asked grinning widely at the memory.

"What! When?" he seemed completely outraged now "How?"

"In my head silly, and on paper after I drew it" I told him. He seemed relieved that there wasn't a peeping-tom kind of explanation.

"That's not the same thing." He said.

"Sure it is." I countered "You know my drawings have never once been wrong."

"But people will see this one." He almost whined. It was kind of amusing.

I walked up to him and put my arms around his neck "For me Jazz? Please?" I said giving him my best 'Bambi' eyes and hoping he'd go for it. He hesitated, which meant he was about to cave, he just needed a final nudge. "I'll make it worth your while" I whispered in his ear and moved my lips down to kiss his neck.

"Fine ok, ok. I'll do it. But it had better be worth it" he added sulkily.

VICTORY!

**Ok so I hope you enjoyed. This is the longest chapter yet and was difficult for me to write. I agonised over what song for Ed to play too but ended up picking the Temptations 'Just My Imagination' because I was typing this up on my mum's computer (hers is faster than mine) and on her iTunes she has a Boys to Men album where they do covers of all these old motown songs and it sounded so good I put that in. Let me know what you think.... Reviews= happy Raichy= quicker updates!**

**Oh and I know I keep cutting off at the good parts with Jasper and Alice but I'm just leading up to the good parts. I promise next chapter you'll get to see how Alice makes it up to Jasper. **


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer- Twilight does not belong to me the talent S Meyer owns the whole thing and I make no money from this I promise.

**Thanks to those sweeties that have reviewed and added this to their alerts/favourites list its so cool hearing what you think and knowing you want more.**

**Well I feel obligated to tell you guys that none of this chapter was planned- at all. I just started writing and this is what came out. So it's totally thrown my story-plan out the window. But I hope you like it. The first part was weird for me to write because I've never really written anything remotely sexual before, so I'll be interested to know what you think of that and the rest of the chapter too.**

Chapter Six

Alice moved the brush across the page in front of her one final time, adding the last highlight to her latest piece and leant back to take in the overall effect. Her eyes flashed from the piece to its subject and back again, smiling at Jasper's uncomfortable expression and putting her brush down.

"I'm finished. You can put your shirt back on now and take a look." She told him, a hint of mockery in her voice.

"Hey, it's not like I haven't fantasized about being half-naked with you. It's just that it was under much different circumstances." He told her pulling his top back on and grinning. He walked around to the other side of the easel to see the finished piece. It was strange looking at the image of him Alice had created. It wasn't like looking at a photograph because photographs never lie- they show you exactly what's there. But paintings are influenced by the artist's perception of the subject and that can change the image.

"What do you think?" Alice asked him, eyebrows raised expectantly.

"I don't think I should judge here. I'm way too involved to give a fair assessment." He said diplomatically.

"You don't like it?" she looked truly hurt.

"It's not that. I love everything you do but it's me. How do I say I love it without sounding like an arrogant prick?" he tried to explain his reasons.

"Oh ok... I think I get it." She said hesitantly. "Now for your reward." She told him smiling smugly- he was going to enjoy this. She walked over to the door and locked it from the inside and blue-tacked some black paper over the window in the door before closing all the blinds.

Jasper was confused by her need for secrecy- what was she doing.

Then she returned to the centre of the room- to the chair Jasper had sat on when he modelled for her. "Tit for tat." She said softly, smiling at her unintentional pun, before lowering her hands to the bottom of her navy blue sweater.

Jasper realised the second before what she was about to do, and in an effort to stay decent was about to tell her not to, but then it was too late. Her sweater lay on the ground where she'd tossed it casually and his mouth hung open in admiration. The sight of her breasts barely covered by the thin scraps of black lace and satin was almost too much for his brain to deal with considering most of the blood in his body had rushed away from his brain to another part of his anatomy entirely, leaving his mind under-oxygenated. Then in a move that was merciless Alice's hands disappeared behind her back and when they returned it was obvious she had unhooked her bra as the straps fell down her arms and she finished removing it, tossing it lightly to join her sweater.

Jasper felt like all his birthday's and Christmas's had come at once. He was trapped in every teenage boy's fantasy. He was just afraid he'd wake up any minute.

"Good god Swan! Do you have any idea what you're doing to me?" he said not trusting himself to move.

"I think I have a slight idea." She said and Jasper was forced to look up at her eyes for the first time since her hands had strayed to her tops hem. Her eyes were focused on him, but distinctly lower than his face. He blushed as he realised she was referring to the now noticeable bulge in his trousers. Then he noticed the smug smirk of success playing around her lips. With an almost audible growl he tore across the room and wrapped his arms around Alice as he crushed his lips to hers.

He wasn't nearly as gentle and tender as he usually was when he kissed her. she had pushed him to a place where his teenage hormones and desire ruled his actions and he claimed her mouth like she was the sweetest thing in existence.

Alice had no problem reciprocating, after all she already knew how this was going to play out, the four separate sketches in her journal were proof of that. She wrapped one arm around his neck and ran the fingers of her other hand through his curls. He moaned into her mouth and she smiled into the kiss.

Jasper knew that smile meant that she thought she was winning and deciding to change her perception he brought his left hand from her back and ran it slowly upwards from her waist and then gently and tentatively cupped her breast. In response Alice wrapped her legs around his hips and drew him closer to her where she was still sat on the chair.

Usually Jasper was content to let Alice have her way and be completely in control of whatever situation they were in but not this time. He needed a small victory and damn it he was going to get it. He took her nipple between his thumb and forefinger and pinched it lightly. This drew a small gasp from Alice but nothing else as she continued to kiss him with as much passion as she could convey. Jasper pulled away from the kiss but only so he could repeat the action of his fingers with his lips. This did it. Alice moaned- quite loudly. The mere sight of Jaspers mouth on her breast was enough to make her moan in delight; coupled with the feel of the action. She felt the heat of anticipation in her lower abdomen.

She knew he would stop soon as Jasper was always the more responsible of the two, so she let him continue to turn her into a moaning shadow of the girl she had previously been.

"Oh my... Jazz!" she gasped as his teeth grazed her skin.

He moved his lips back up to her neck, her throat and finally her lips before resting his forehead on hers, panting slightly.

"Do you realise how dangerous you are to all mankind Alice? With moves like that you could take over the planet." He said fighting to regain his breath.

"I only intend to be a danger to you Jazz" she said pushing a lock of his hair from his eyes and looking into them. His pupils were still large with desire not that she needed any proof of how turned on he was she had pretty unbeatable evidence pressed against her thigh right now.

"We should probably talk about this" he mumbled holding her close for another moment before bending down to retrieve her discarded items of clothing from the floor. "I mean we've only been together for a couple of weeks and I want to be your sure you're comfortable with how quickly things are progressing." He stuttered out trying to be gentlemanly.

"Jazz, this was my idea remember. Besides it took us eighteen months to get to this point if we'd gone much slower we'd stop." She joked putting the straps of her bra back in place.

"True, but I still wanted to check. I don't want to do anything with you that you'll regret later" he almost whispered.

"Jazz." She said holding his face tenderly in her hands for a moment. "I would never regret anything I do with you."

"Really?" He asked.

"Really" she assured him and kissed him tenderly before shrugging into her sweater. Now I guess we had better get cleared away in here. She said motioning to her easel and paints.

"I guess so" he confirmed. "I'll move the easel; you take care of the paint." He said.

"I love it when you take control." She said smiling as she grabbed her palette and brushes and took them to the sink. In no time at all the room looked almost exactly as it had that morning when she had arrived.

"Ready to go?" Jasper asked her as she reopened the blinds and took down the paper over the window in the door.

"Sure, you sure you want to leave that there?" she countered ignoring his question and pointing to her painting which he'd left attached to the easel at the back of the room.

"Yeah, it doesn't seem like that much of a big deal anymore." He admitted surveying the painting once more.

"I'm glad I was able to change your perceptive." Alice said grinning and she took his hand in hers as they left the room and locked the door behind them. As they walked down the corridor hand in hand talking about their next painting session, in which it was Jasper's turn to choose, they didn't notice the figure in the hallway behind them.

x x x x x

Edward had stayed in the building long after the fundraiser had ended. He'd known that the two students were in the art room and had been waiting for some time for them to leave. He watched them turn the corner at the end of the hall and then made his way to the art room door. He took the school's master key from his pocket and opened the door.

As a senior staff member he'd been given a master key under the understanding that it was for emergencies not for snooping but he overlooked this fact- rules were made to be broken he thought stubbornly and went into the room. He had no idea what to look for once inside. All he wanted was proof he wasn't going crazy. That the conversation he'd had today with Bella wasn't completely nuts! And Alice really was drawing true events before they happened.

He didn't have to search long his eyes glanced over a set of draws marked 'Juniors' and sure enough Alice's name was scrawled on the label of the bottom one. He pulled open the large drawer made for A1 sized paper and pulled out a handful of sketchbooks and loose pieces of paper.

He felt a little like he was invading Alice's privacy but at this point it didn't really matter. He flicked open the first book. There were some forest scenes and images of animals all very realistic and well drawn but not useful in determining Alice's possible psychicness. He continued to flick through the pages Bella's face appeared in several and the Whitlock boy featured prominently in the pictures too. Then he came across something that was different from the other images.

It was a drawing of the football stadium and the scoreboard told him that they were 14 points ahead of Seattle South High school and the time was almost out. Wasn't that exactly how much they'd beaten the rival school by in last weekend's match? But hang on- a smile spread across his face- Alice had dated this drawing- shed drawn this three weeks before the match had taken place. He flicked through some more pages certain he'd find something else that would prove he didn't need committing to a psych ward. Sure enough he came across a picture that was obviously set a couple of weeks from, now and showed the majority of the faculty sat around a table in Bella's restaurant and pulling Christmas crackers. As far as he knew they hadn't decided on a venue for the annual staff Christmas party yet.

He decided that if this actually happened he'd have to accept the facts and stop questioning his sanity. He figured he'd spent enough time snooping through as students things and began to return the things to the drawer when he came across another image. One of Bella. In the image she was wearing a dress that made her look like a model. Not that she hadn't looked incredible every time he'd seen her, but she hadn't been wearing anything that emphasised her figure quite like this. She was smiling and her eyes were sparkling and her hair framed her face in soft curls. She looked unbelievable.

Without thinking he folded the drawing and slid it into his jacket pocket. Surely Alice wouldn't miss one picture among hundreds. And he replaced the rest of the pictures in the draw and closed it.

Pleased with his findings and more assured of his sanity he left the room and made his way to his car. He'd spent too long in the school today and needed to get home where there was alcohol. The only thing that would make today's events seem less bizarre.

[Later]

Sat at home with a glass of red wine and a good book Edward was finally able to relax at the end of a busy day. A lot had happened in the last twenty-four hours. He'd spoken to Bella, arranged the next tie he would see her, broken in to the art room, pilfered through a student belongings and stolen a drawing.

He took said drawing from his pocket. It was better than any photograph could have been. He sighed slightly as his eyes took in the image he'd already committed to his memory. He couldn't believe how he was acting. If he'd caught anyone else staring at some ones picture with the look of longing he was sure he was sporting right now he would have teased them mercilessly. At the thought of merciless teasing he thought of his brother and the accusations he'd made on Saturday.

He grabbed his phone and punched his speed dial number for Emmet.

"Hello Eddie boy!" his brother sing-songed as he answered his phone.

"Hey Emmett, ready to say I told you so?" Edward asked ruefully.

"Always" he replied "But what about this time?" he asked.

"What did you ask me on Saturday?" he answered the question with a question.

"Many things... the girl." He said realising suddenly. "So, there is a girl?" he asked truly interested now.

"Yes there is this woman." Edward admitted. "She's a parent, tough Em."

"I don't seem why that would matter, but if she's got a kid in high school isn't she a bit old for you?" he asked.

"No, the girls adopted. I'm just apprehensive about getting involved with a student's mum, it could cause problems. It's not exactly against the rules or anything but I'm pretty sure its not encouraged."

"All you can do is try bruv." He said soothingly, sensing his brother's agitation.

"You think?" he asked.

"Dude, seriously. Its' about time you got back out there. You haven't really dated much since.... well you know. I'm happy you're finally feeling something for a member of the opposite sex again. Its got me excited to meet her."

"Absolutely not!" Edward said, anger flaring. "There is no way your meeting her, not yet, anyway."

"But if this turns into something..."he trailed off.

"If it turns into something then you can meet her and I'll try my best to make sure you don't scare her off" Edward agreed.

"Good, now tell me all about her?" Emmett asked knowing Rose would want details when he relayed all this information to her later.

"Em if I tried to explain I wouldn't do her any justice. You'll just have to wait and see" Edward told him secretively.

"You know I will hold you to that." Emmett threatened. "And Rose will demand details next time you speak to her.

"I'm aware Em. I'll let you get going. Thanks for listening." Edward said honestly.

"No problem Bruv, you always listened to me when I needed it. I'm glad I can return the favour. Goodnight"

"Night, Em."

Edward hung up and sighed again. He put the picture back in his pocket and found himself looking forward to the upcoming dance more than he'd ever looked forward to any of his own high school dances

[Meanwhile at the Swan house]

"Bella?" Alice said nervously.

"What's up Alice?" She said turning towards the girl and putting her book down.

"Nothings up. I just wanted to talk." Alice reassured.

"OK. What's on you mind Kiddo?"

"Can you change gears for a minute, be my friend Bella instead of my guardian?" she asked.

"I guess. You haven't done anything illegal have you?"

"No, no it's nothing like that, I promise."

"Ok then fire away."

"I need to ask you about..." She paused and took a deep breath. "... about birth control" she finished looking up at Bella shyly.

"Alice, are you sure you and Jasper are ready for that. I mean you've barely been together for a few weeks." Bella said cautiously.

"We've known each other for almost two years, I'm almost seventeen and I know that I'm ready. I'm not sure if anything's going to happen yet. But I want to be prepared just in case."

"Well that's very responsible of you." Bella said approvingly.

"That's your mom voice, you're meant to be my friend right now." Alice whined.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry. If your not sure anything's going to happen what made you ask about this in the first place" Bella wondered out loud.

"Jasper and I went to second this afternoon" Alice said by way of explanation. "It didn't go any further- I promise" she said hastily seeing Bella's shocked expression. "But it would've been nice to have the option- you know?"

"I guess. Hang on." And with that she hurried up the stairs. Alice listened to the sound of Bella's footsteps followed by some rummaging sounds coming from their shared bathroom, then her foot steps returning.

"I want to make it clear" she began "that I'm not condoning this but here" she handed Alice a small square packet- a condom. "Keep that with you for now and I'll make an appointment with the doctor to see about getting you the pill. God, I can't believe we're having this conversation." She took a deep breath and then smiled. "So, now I've go my motherly duty out of the way- second huh? How'd it happen?"

Alice grinned broadly and then launched into a description of the afternoons events.

**So review please people- and thanks for reading.**


	7. Chapter 7

**So guys, here's the next chapter. I wanted to say a quick thanks to almostbella95 who was the only person to review chapter six- thank you and I'm sorry too coz there are no answers for you in this chapter. The other 700 and some people who read chapter 6- shame on you. It takes a couple of minutes to review and really does make my day. Think about that when you finish this chapter.**

**Disclaimer- none of this is mine and I don't make any money from it so don't sue me.**

Chapter 7

"Bella, Hold still!" to say Alice was getting frustrated was the understatement of the year. Bella had allowed her to pick her a dress for tonight and shoes too. She'd also not made too much of a scene when Alice had insisted that pedicures and haircuts were necessary. But she was going to have to draw the line at this gross overuse of make-up. Where had Alice gotten all this stuff anyway? Obviously she was being over-paid for her services at the restaurant.

"Alice this is getting silly." Bella continued to protest. "You may still be young enough to pull off the whole blue eye shadow thing without looking like a five dollar hooker, I however can't and won't!"

Alice had stopped listening to Bella's over exaggerations a half hour ago. She knew that the frustration and irritation was merely Bella's way of dealing with the nervousness she was fighting in relation to seeing Mr Cullen tonight. Whilst Alice didn't understand the attraction she accepted and even encouraged it. That's why she had gone out of her way to get the perfect dress for Bella.

"What the devil is that?" Bella demanded of Alice with her eyebrows threatening to jump off her face looking at the silver instrument Alice was now holding.

"Chill Bella. It's just an eyelash curler." Alice tried to explain.

"Well it looks like a torture device if you ask me." Bella grumbled continuing to eye the contraption with mounting worry.

"Then it's a good job that no-one is asking you isn't it?" Alice snapped. Normally she wouldn't mind humouring Bella. But she had nerves of her own to contend with tonight. She was going to bring up the subject of sex with Jasper.

After the chat Bella and she had had Alice had make an appointment with a doctor. Not her usual doctor though. It would be way too weird getting a contraceptive prescription from the same man who'd treated her for chicken pox when she was six. She'd kept the little packet Bella had given her in her purse but Jasper hadn't mentioned their tryst in the art room or the possibility of a repeat or continuation. So as usual Alice would have to take the imitative. She didn't really mind though. She liked being in charge. Bossiness was in her nature. But Jasper was very reserved. It was hard to tell sometimes whether he wanted to do things or if he did them just because Alice wanted to.

She would get some answers tonight but for now she would concentrate on making Bella look simply irresistible. Mr Ass wouldn't know what hit him!

(Meanwhile...)

"Fucking, stupid, fiddly thing!" Edward cursed loudly. This was getting to a point way past ridiculous. He'd never been one for getting dressed up, but the boss had told him in no uncertain terms that he expected to wear not only a jacket, but also a tie to the excuse for a social function tonight.

So he'd gone to the store today and bought a suit. The one he'd worn to Emmett's and Rose's wedding was a little moth eaten from lack of use. Of course the suit he'd chosen was his rather individual style. Black trousers Jacket and tie teamed with a shirt that was sapphire blue. Edward was big headed enough to know that he looked pretty good but it didn't do anything to dispel the nerves that were bubbling up inside him at the thought of seeing the enticing Miss Swan again.

He felt like he'd gone back in time to his teenage years. Times of sweaty palms and a racing pulse. Of course he had certain advantages now that he hadn't had back then. He was older, a little wiser and not as ruled by his hormones as he once had been, or so he would like to believe. But there were downsides to his age and experience. He was much more cautious now than he would have been several years ago, not that he didn't have reason to be cautious with his heart. Once bitten, twice as shy and all that. But he found himself not wanting to be that way with Bella. Maybe he wouldn't be, she had him believing in psychics already and there was certainly nothing cautious about that.

(And across town...)

"Mom seriously, can you stop?" the teenager squirmed under the scrutiny of his mothers eye and the shiny digital camera she held in her hands.

"I can but I won't. You know the deal honey; I went through twenty six hours of labour so I get to say how many photographs I get to take." Mrs Whitlock told her son sternly and snapped again whilst he was sporting his 'you annoy me but I love you' expression. He looked so much like his father when he did that.

"But seriously mom, I'm going to be late if I don't leave soon!" he complained.

"Fine." She conceded gracefully with a smile. "Here take the camera," she handed him the tiny silver camera then reached into her pocket "and my car" she added, her smile growing as she watched the excitement filling up her sons eyes.

"Seriously?" he asked, confused and eager. Marie never let anyone drive her car. She was notoriously possessive of the glittery vehicle that sat in the driveway. Jasper had never driven it in the year since he'd gotten his licence.

"Seriously" she repeated "I want you to have a good time and besides I thought you might be less inclined to drink if you have to get the car back safely" she told him.

So that was her ulterior motive, Jasper thought. He should've known the car wouldn't have come without strings attached. Not that he intended to drink but his mother's implying that he did just emphasised how much she didn't know about him. He was nothing like his father- she didn't seem to realise that.

He took the keys and with a quick mumbled "Thank you mom, I love you" he was out the door.

The drive to Alice's was quick and not difficult. He'd probably get there early, despite what he'd told his mother. But the more time he spent with Alice the better. She was amazing. And hardly a minute went by when he didn't think about her and want to be with her.

As he pulled up outside the Swan house he changed the radio station from his favourite classical to her preferred alternative one. It would make the need for her to persuade him later unnecessary although Alice's means of persuasion were often very enjoyable he wanted things to slow down a little.

He got out of the car grabbing the violets from the passenger seat (roses were customary but Alice preferred violets).

Alice answered the door a huge smile on her face which he mirrored as soon as he saw her. "You look fantastic." He said drawing her close for a hug.

"Thank you, you scrub up pretty well yourself." She teased rubbing her fingers over his lapels to emphasise her point.

"Well I would've gone to this thing in jeans and docs if you had let me" he said. Than he caught sight of a movement on the edge of his vision and he turned. He blinked. "Miss Swan?" he said disbelievingly.

"Hello Jasper" she replied.

"You look different" he stated.

"Is that a good thing or a bad thing?" she asked looking worried.

"Bella!" Alice cut in before he could answer her. "You look great. Stop doubting it and get going."

"I'm going, I'm going. See you later kids." Then she was gone, stumbling slightly on her heels in the process.

"The dress was your idea huh?" Jasper asked.

Alice nodded, smiling with pride. "She looks good right?"

The question was rhetorical but Jasper answered anyway. "She does, but not as good as you." He said kissing her softly. The kiss was soft and sweet but far too short, in Alice's opinion.

"We should get going." Jasper said as he pulled away.

"Sure." She agreed. "I'll just put these in water and we'll be on our way." She said motioning to the violets.

(At the school)

Edward couldn't believe what he was seeing. The Forks High gym was currently the home of the most blatant overuse of crepe paper and fairy lights he had ever seen. He hated to think of the amount of trees that had been cut down in order to make this pastel coloured nightmare possible.

The students were starting to arrive, gasping and oohing over the decorations and everyone's outfits. It was a novelty, he knew, but hardly worth the commotion that the teenagers were causing over it. He wondered where Bella was. She hadn't arrived yet. His eyes had been unconsciously glued to the door for the last thirty minutes and he hadn't seen her yet.

He was so determined in his self-appointed door watching duty that he almost missed Jenks (a junior with a knack for getting into trouble) looking decidedly shifty by the punch bowl.

Edward sighed as he made his way over to the boy. There was always one! He stood directly behind the lad and said in his best stern voice "I'll take that if you don't mind."

The boy whipped around quickly, fear visible in his eyes, whisky bottle clutched in his hand. The teen grudgingly surrendered the bottle.

"Detention after the holidays Jenks and one more problem from you tonight and I'll have you pulled from the basketball team." He threatened for good measure. He didn't want to spend all night watching the kid. There was someone much more attractive on her way that he planned to spend a large portion of his night looking at.

As this thought crossed his mind his eyes flicked back to the door and he very nearly tripped over his feet. She had just walked in, looking completely stunning. But that wasn't what shocked him. That outfit! It was the same one she'd been wearing in the picture he'd stolen. It shouldn't have shocked him. He'd already accepted it-hadn't he? Obviously not!

She made her way across the room, slowly, carefully even. Edward wondered what would cause anyone to walk so daintily. Then she stumbled and his eyes were drawn down to her feet. Of course; the shoes. He'd seen this women trip over nothing in flats and she was wearing a scarily high pair of heels. What on earth had possessed her to wear those? Maybe he'd find out later.

Bella had spotted him out of the corner of her eye as she made her way into the room. She didn't approach him though. She wanted to wait- build up to it; prepare herself to talk to him again. Fortunately soon after she arrived at the gymnasium the lights went out and she had a host of chaperone duties to carry out. She kept students out of nearby janitor's closets and empty classrooms, protected the unsuspecting punch bowl from a variety of alcoholic additions and monitored the song requests to keep unnecessary profanities out of the Forks High gymnasium.

At about half past nine the dance was in full swing. The music was pounding the teenagers were gyrating and Bella was feeling dizzy. She needed some fresh air she looked towards the doors to the courtyard in hope. Would anyone miss her if she stepped out for a moment? Probably not. How much trouble could teens get into in five minutes? She tried not to think about the answer to that question as she made her way over to the doors.

Once outside she took a deep breath of the cool winter air and sighed. The music still filled her ears but was decidedly muted. She sat down on one of the benches and dropped her head into her hands. She had forgotten how exhausting this place could be.

"Escaping the Déjà Vu?" a voice behind her startled her. She knew who it was without turning around. She'd memorised the voice. She turned anyway and smiled at his question.

"No. I never went to a dance at school. Except my senior prom and that was held at The Gate." She told him knowing he'd know the name of the only hotel in town.

"Why not? Surely you weren't lacking in offers." The night was making him brave with his words. She blushed at his compliment and he decided he would have to do that more often.

"I don't dance" she told him.

"Why?" he questioned further.

"Have you seen me walk?" she countered.

He laughed loudly. Bella loved the way his eyes seemed to light up when he did.

"I understand but it might be easier without those shoes." He said looking at her feet.

"Alice wouldn't take no for an answer." Bella said by way of explanation.

"I don't suppose you'd take a risk and try dancing with me?" he asked gently. Not wanting to scare her off.

"Are you sure you want to subject yourself to that kind of torture?" she asked seriously. Clearly the poor guy had no idea what he was letting himself in for.

"For all you know I could be a terrible dancer" he told her. He'd wanted to say he'd brave a walk over hot coals and broken glass to have her pressed against him but figured it wouldn't fit in so well with his 'not scaring her off' plan.

"I doubt that even if you were terrible you'd be as bad as I am" she joked standing up. "Id better take these off. I don't want to stab your feet when I tread on them" she told him motioning to her feet.

She was going to dance with him! He couldn't believe his luck.

She was going to dance with him. She must be going nuts. Why else would she agree to do something she knew would end in disaster? That's right- because she wanted to.

She slipped her shoes off slowly and stepped towards him. She placed her right hand in his and placed her left on his shoulder gently. He held her soft hand delicately scared that if he held it any tighter she'd slip through his fingers like the foggy visions of her from his dreams. He drew her closer to him, holding her waist.

A new song began to play from inside the building. The notes and words filtering out to where they stood, barely moving, barely breathing, wrapped in each others embrace.

Edward stated spinning them in a loose circle. Pressing his face to the side of hers, enjoying the flowery scent of her hair and the way she felt against his chest. He could get used to this

_I've got a funny feeling  
The moment that your lips touched mine  
Something shot right through me  
My heart skipped a beat in time_

There's a different feel about you tonight  
It's got me thinkin' lots of crazy things  
I even think I saw a flash of light  
It felt like electricity

You shouldn't kiss me like this  
Unless you mean it like that  
Cause I'll just close my eyes  
And I won't know where I'm at  
We'll get lost on this dance floor  
Spinnin' around  
And around  
And around  
And around  


As they continued to turn, occasionally stopping when one of Bella's feet slipped and caught his toes, they listened to the lyrics. And Bella thought of the picture of Alice's she had seen. It would be ever so easy to kiss him not. A short turn on her head and she could stop wondering when it was going to happen and just enjoy it.

_They're all watchin' us now  
They think we're falling in love  
They'd never believe we're just friends  
When you kiss me like this  
I think you mean it like that  
If you do baby kiss me again_

Everybody swears we make the perfect pair  
But dancing is as far as it goes  
Girl you've never moved me quite  
The way you moved me tonight  
I just wanted you to know  
I just wanted you to know  


Edward wanted to kiss her so much now that he wasn't sure what was stopping him. Part of him knew it was because he was afraid that the memory of his last kiss would intrude on this moment and therefore ruin any possibility of a future with the woman in his arms. But Bella wasn't her. He had no reason to doubt Bella.

_You shouldn't kiss me like this  
Unless you mean it like that  
Cause I'll just close my eyes  
And I won't know where I'm at  
We'll get lost on this dance floor  
Spinnin' around  
And around  
And around  
And around_

They're all watchin' us now  
They think we're falling in love  
They'd never believe we're just friends  
When you kiss me like this  
I think you mean it like that  
If you do baby kiss me again  
Kiss me again

With this last line Edwards last piece of resolve disappeared along with what remained Bella's doubt and they both moved at the same time. The heads turned and their lips drew closer as their eyes closed and their breathing hitched.

It was everything she expected it to be. His lips were soft and smooth but insistent and sure. His hands held her at her back whilst she wound hers around his neck as she gave in to the sheer pleasure of the moment. Thoughts of drawings and Alice and the future completely banished from her mind for as long as this moment lasted.

It was nothing like he expected it to be. It was so much better that anything his imagination had dreamed up, unconscious or otherwise. She was gentle and passionate all at the same time. His nostrils were full of the scent of her hair and his ears were assaulted with the sound of their heavy breathing as he sought out her bottom lip with his tongue. His mind jumped for joy when she opened her mouth for him. His fears were proved unnecessary when no previous memories assaulted him. All that existed was Bella. Bella and her beautiful body and her sweet, luscious lips.

Nearby a pair of eyes watched the couple with a knowing smile before turning and walking back towards the gym. "Come on Jazz. I've seen all I need to." Alice said happily.

"Did you know that was going to happen?" he spluttered, still in shock.

"Of course I did. I wasn't completely sure of the timing but I had a hunch it would be tonight."

"Well little miss matchmaker I hope you know what you're doing." Jasper warned.

"Of course I do. Which is why I have some questions to ask you." She told him pulling him past the double doors to the gym and towards the classroom she knew would be empty and unlocked.

**So I know I'm mean but I'm going to end it here. It seems like as good a place as any. And I'd rather update now than leave you guys hanging on any longer. Now I've just bought myself a copy of the host so I won't be writing for the next couple of days but there will be an update within a week as always. Please review guys- it only takes two minutes. Till next time- love u all-Raichelle x**

**Oh and before I forget the song in this chapter is Toby Keith's 'you shouldn't kiss me like this'. **


	8. Chapter 8

i had this done esterday but there are problems with document manager- a little birdy told me how to copy and paste into an older document though so here you go

**So I started typing this as soon as I'd finished reading the host- it was great- anyone who hasn't read it yet should. **

**Disclaimer-** I do not own twilight or any of its contents- seriously, if I owned Edward Cullen do you seriously think I'd be spending my free time on my laptop writing this stuff? I thought not.

**Chapter 8**

**Previously...**

_Nearby a pair of eyes watched the couple with a knowing smile before turning and walking back towards the gym. "Come on Jazz. I've seen all I need to." Alice said happily._

_"Did you know that was going to happen?" he spluttered, still in shock. _

_"Of course I did. I wasn't completely sure of the timing but I had a hunch it would be tonight."_

_"Well little miss matchmaker I hope you know what you're doing." Jasper warned._

_"Of course I do, which is why I have some questions to ask you." She told him pulling him past the double doors to the gym and towards the classroom she knew would be empty and unlocked._

JPOV

She pulled me into the classroom. I hadn't been surprised by her strength in a long time but her eagerness to get me alone scared me a little now. This was partly because I knew what she wanted to talk about. Stupid: I am not. I'd been avoiding this conversation for since Tuesday's art room fiasco.

I don't want you to think I didn't fully enjoy the experience. I am a teenage boy after all. And I had no regrets- how could I regret anything I did with Alice. It was just a little too quick. A little too much for me to handle and I wanted to slow things down. It wasn't lost on me that this was usually the argument coming from the female side of a relationship but one of us had to be level headed and that wasn't going to be Alice. Honestly, one of the things I loved about Alice was her openness and enthusiasm for everything she did, but sometimes I wish she'd think a moment before making a decision and jumping in with both feet, headfirst with her eyes closed.

Once inside the deserted room she turned her eyes on me and studied me closely. I was beginning to feel like I was under a microscope. Then she spoke.

"We need to talk." Those words were usually the kiss of death for a relationship but I knew that wouldn't be the case with me and Alice. I didn't say anything in response, just waited for her to continue.

"Are you ashamed of what happened on Tuesday?" she asked, not meeting my eyes. This in itself surprised me. I'm so used to her being assertive that seeing her look hurt and unsure made my gut clench in an unpleasant way. I don't think Alice has ever looked so small.

"No, no, no. Of course I'm not." I stepped in front of her and cupped her face in both of my hands. "Why would you even think that?" I asked.

"Well Jazz, you're not exactly giving me a lot to work with here." She said angrily pulling back from my hands and crossing her arms in front of her. "You haven't mentioned it or anything, what am I supposed to think?" She asked me, looking me dead in the eyes now.

I took a deep steadying breath. This was going to be hard to get out, but this was Alice. I could tell her anything. "It's not that I didn't have great time on Tuesday because I did and I'm definitely not ashamed, I don't regret it one tiny little bit. It's just that...well... I'm a little embarrassed." I admitted, looking down at my own feet now.

She was quiet, and when I chanced a glance upward, in her direction, her face was a picture of confusion. "What is there to be embarrassed about?" she asked finally.

"Well..." I began not sure how to phrase it. "You felt how I reacted on Tuesday right?" I made a pointed glance downwards towards my crotch hoping she would understand what I meant. She smiled.

"Yes I did." She said "But that's a good thing."

"But Al, you know I'm a... virgin" there I'd said it. I continued "I have no idea what I'm doing, and if we'd gone any further I would've been completely clueless about what to do next." I put my insecurities into words for her.

"That's supposed to be part of the fun, figuring it out together. You're not the only virgin in this situation Jazz." She told me in her mater-of-fact way.

"I'm just not sure I'm ready. I really don't want to screw up what we have." I told her."I want to do this right, take things slowly. Build up to it."

"I never would have thought you were so old fashioned Jazz." She said, smiling now. I just grinned back. "So we slow things down?" she questioned.

"Not to a standstill, but yeah." I agreed. Then I thought of something. "But if you wanted to replay Tuesday I wouldn't have any objections." And with that I picked her up by her waist and placed her on the edge of the teacher's desk (Id never before been so happy that Mr Sanders didn't like clutter) and began kissing her like me life depended on it. She didn't have any problem with it. I took great joy in listening to her gasps and moans of delight and approval, which increased in frequency when I dropped my lips to her neck and lightly drew my teeth against the soft skin there.

"Mr Whitlock! Miss Swan!" Oh fuck! I knew that voice. I pulled away from Alice and she hopped down from the desk, peering over my shoulder.

"Mr Marks, Hi" she said sheepishly.

"I expect this type of behaviour from some students but not you two, detention for the both of you after the holidays." Mr Marks said sternly. "And isn't your mother here?" he directed at Alice. She just nodded in agreement. "Well, I might just go have a word with her. Now Out-" and with that he moved back from the doorframe allowing us to pass through. Alice took my hand and pulled me back towards the gym giggling slightly.

"Are you not worried about what Bella will say?" I asked marvelling at how well she was dealing with this.

"You saw her and Mr Ass. She can hardly say anything without being a total hypocrite." She told me grinning.

"I guess your right." I conceded.

"Now come on, you owe me a few more dances." She told me and I let her drag my form over to dance floor.

Bella's POV

I don't know how long we'd been in the courtyard like this. Several songs had played starting softly, building in intensity and fading off into nothingness. Our kissing followed a similar pattern. Starting soft and sweet, becoming passionate and heated, then breaking off and almost ending before starting all over again. I hadn't been involved in such an all consuming make out session since... I couldn't remember the last time I'd been kissed like this. My bet was on never.

I was in the middle of sucking lightly on Edward's bottom lip when I heard a noise that made me freeze in my tracks.

"Huh-hum." Someone behind me cleared their throat.

I hadn't had the mortifying experience of being caught making out here when I was actually in High school, which apparently was something the fates were making up for now.

Somehow Edward managed to disentangle us from each other. "Marks" he said in greeting to the person I was way too embarrassed to turn and face. I knew I probably resembled a ripe tomato right now.

"Cullen" the voice greeted back as I slipped my shoes back on my feet. "I was actually looking for you, Miss Swan." That caught my attention and I spun to face the man. He was a teacher here, A Colleague of Edwards. Luckily it wasn't a teacher who had been here when I was a student- that would've been bad.

"Me? What did you want to see me for?" I was truly confused.

"About five minutes ago I caught your daughter in a very similar position with young Mr Whitlock in an empty classroom. Like mother like daughter I guess." His voice was laced with disapproval. "I gave them a detention and said I'd let you know. You really should try and set a better example." And with a last glare at Edward he was gone.

"Sorry." I told him.

"Don't be I'm not" he replied, pushing a strand of my hair behind my ear.

"Me either really." I admitted. "But won't you get into trouble?" I asked concerned too.

"Probably," he admitted with a sigh "but not a lot. We should get back inside, we have chaperoning duties and you have a teenager to chastise." He smiled.

"I guess so." I said. I found I was reluctant to go back inside, despite how chilly it was out here in the December air. I liked being her with him, alone, like it was our own little private bubble. At least it had been until we'd been interrupted.

"I'd like to talk to you later." He told me "Can I drive you home?" he asked.

"I came in my truck." I told him, worrying about how I'd get it home if I didn't take it.

"Couldn't Alice take it?" he asked

"She's getting a ride home with Jasper." I explained.

"Then it's the perfect punishment." He joked.

"No, I don't want it to turn into a fight. I'll get a cab to work tomorrow and pick it up on my way home." I explained, not wanting to miss a talk with him.

"Ok then. Guess I'll see you later." He gave my hand a quick squeeze and went through the doors to the gym. I followed seconds later.

The rest of the night was a blur of music, lights and clean-up duty. Most of the mess would be sorted tomorrow by student who'd earned detentions before the end of term. But some of the work had to be done straight away. Finally, the students had gone, the DJ had left and the remaining faculty members and chaperones were bidding each other goodbye. Edward found me and snaked a hand around my waist as he led me over to his Volvo.

He opened the door for me and I slid into my seat. Who said chivalry was dead. I gave him directions to my house as he fiddled with the radio. A few notes of a 50's track came from the speakers. I smiled as I listened. I was a tad alarmed by his driving, completely baffled as to how he'd passed his test, but I didn't say anything about it. Instead I just watched his face. Too soon we were at my house, and neither of us had said a word. He pulled onto my drive, cut the engine and turned to face me.

"I want to take you out." He told me.

"Like on a date?" I asked, trying to clarify.

"Yes. Is that something you'd like to do?" he asked.

"Yes." I told him. I jumped at the thought of spending more time with him, alone.

"Good. I'd like that too."

"Where would we go? What would we do?" I asked.

He grinned "that's a surprise" he told me.

I don't like surprises.

"Don't I get a say?" I asked.

"You can pick the next time." He told me

"So there's going to be a next time? You're pretty sure of yourself huh Cullen?" I teased.

"Not at all." He whispered as he leaned forward and kissed me. It was different to how he'd kissed me earlier. It was gentle, soft and short but held the promise of many more to come. "I'll see you in two days." He said as he pulled away.

"Two days?"

"The staff Christmas party, at your restaurant." He said. Oh yes I'd forgotten about that. It's how I'd been conned into chaperoning in the first place. Even I couldn't turn down the business a $40 per head meal would cost for the entire faculty of Forks High. I'd been blackmailed into it. Not that I was complaining, though. I was happy with how the night had turned out. "Here" he placed a small piece of paper into my hand, his phone number. "In case you want to talk in the meantime."

"Thanks." I said and reached for the door.

"Goodnight Bella, Sweet dreams." He said softly. I closed the door and watched him drive away. Yes, I was very happy with how tonight had turned out.

Edwards POV

"That's what you're getting your boss as a Christmas gift?" Emmett asked me looking at my purchases.

"A bottle of whisky is a perfectly acceptable gift." I protested.

"Yeah but it's not very imaginative is it?" he countered.

"Would you rather I get him one of the ties with pictures of snowmen on it that sings 'let it snow let it snow let it snow'?" I asked pointing towards the display to our right.

"Well maybe not something that juvenile but yeah something fun, that he wouldn't buy for himself."

"God if you put this much thought into my boss's gift I wonder what you've gotten rose." I said trying to change the conversation.

"I've come to a block there bro. I have no idea what to give her."

"The usual lingerie not going to cut it this year?" I asked knowing full well this is what he'd got rose for at least the last two years.

"She told me it has to be something that can't be worn." He grumbled and I smiled.

When Emmett suggested we meet up for a drink I was okay with that, I wasn't prepared for him to come along on my shopping trip afterwards. I had picked up gifts for Bill, the secretary and the people in my department but there was still one gift I wanted to get but couldn't with Emmett around. He would know who it was for and would get all curious. I was not in the mood for questioning. I was rather enjoying having the knowledge of mine and Bella's kiss all to myself for a while. That was if you didn't count Marks. Fucking moron had to ruin the moment last night. But I'd had fun imagining several scenarios involving his beheading to get me over it.

Once I paid for my purchases we took off through the shopping centre. There had to be something for Rosalie here somewhere and if I managed to sneak a gift for Bella through the checkout without Emmett noticing, even better.

We made our way through the shopping centre pausing every so often to look at a display in a shop window before shaking our heads and moving on. After half an hour of this pattern I had all but given up and was about to suggest popping into the nearest pub for a swift pint and a serious revision of our strategy when Emmett suddenly cried out "That's it!"

"What is?" I ask bewildered. But he's already on his way into the store we were in the process of passing. I followed, intrigued. He walked over to a display table and picked up a silver object. When I got close enough to see what it was I have to admit he was good. It was a perfect gift for rose. It was a 3-photo frame, made from silver and embellished with tiny, delicate, silver roses.

"Nice one bro." I commented as he checked the price tag.

"I already know the photo's I want to put in as well." He told me, his enthusiasm obviously bubbling over. "Our wedding photo- obviously, the one of us in the hospital after Seth was born and the one from his birthday party the other week. Its perfect." He grinned and walked over to the cashier's desk to buy it.

I smiled at his obvious joy. I was happy to see him happy. That's what made our relationship so great- we were so different that there was rarely any sibling rivalry- even when we were kids Emmett had had sports and I had had school. But we were close despite those differences. I had never been happier for him than when he found Rose. It gave me hope that there might be a chance for me too. But that was before...

Then something caught my eye, cutting off my train of thought rather abruptly. I made my way over to the little item that had captured my interest. It was a pair of gloves, mittens really as they didn't have individual fingers, royal blue with elegant white flowers embroidered onto them and white fur (fake I'm sure) at the cuffs. I almost laughed out loud. They were practically perfect for what I had in mind for our first date. I quickly looked at where Emmett was standing waiting in line to pay for Rosalie's present and went to get in another cue, hoping to beat him to the door.

I did beat him, quickly shoving the gloves into my inside jacket pocket to avoid the awkward conversation I knew they would cause, especially after our recent phone call. Emmett met me at the shops entrance.

"Pub?" he asked.

"Lets do it." I replied and we walked off in search of alcohol and steaks.

We had almost finished our meals when Emmett dropped the bomb on me.

"Don't think I missed that little manoeuvre with the gloves either." He said grinning at me like a nut-case.

I looked down at my plate in embarrassment and anger. I had tried so hard to avoid this conversation but my efforts had been in vain.

"Bella will love them." He told me, a knowing smirk covering his face.

"We'll see." I said trying to convey that I wanted this to end without actually having to say it. No such luck.

"So you're seeing her before the holiday's then?"

"The staff Christmas do is at her restaurant." I admitted, crossing my arms like a sullen teenager.

"She owns a restaurant?" he seemed surprised.

"Yeah and she's the chef." I said. It couldn't hurt to give him a few details.

"Well at least you know she can cook, that's good" he said, always thinking about his stomach. I let him carry on with his ramblings about Rose's cooking next; sending up a silent prayer in thanks that he'd changed the subject.

Bella's POV

I was sweaty and gross and my nice white jacket was covered in gravy and cranberry sauce (a small incident involving my feet getting caught on one another) whilst he was out there looking relaxed and chilled and perfect.

"A customer wants to come back and compliment the chef." Jessica said popping her head around the kitchen door.

I didn't really have time for this I had twenty chocolate mousses to dish up but sod it- I could use the ego boost. "Send them in then" I said, pushing the stray part of my hair that always escaped my hair net out of my eyes.

A moment later he came through the door and my cheeks reddened automatically. It was unfair that I looked like this when he looked like that.

"Hey" he said in greeting, smiling at me.

"Hi." I replied. I knew I was still blushing and my complexion probably bore great resemblance to the red stains on my shirt right now.

"I wanted to come and tell you how much I enjoyed the food tonight" he told me, his eyes holding mine in a vice grip. I could get lost in those green orbs. "And give you this" and with that he held out a small packet- a present- no bigger than my fist covered in sparkly gold wrapping paper with a matching star shaped tag. 'To Bella' it red 'you'll need these two weeks on Saturday. Merry Christmas- Edward x.'

"Thank you" I said, touched that he'd thought of me and relieved that I wouldn't be the only one who'd gotten a gift. That reminded me. "I have something for you too." And I put his gift on the counter and went to retrieve my bag from my locker.

"Here" I said handing him a nondescript, square silver tin topped with a green bow and tag. He scanned the tag quickly. I had written 'something sweet to get you through the holiday- Love Bella x'. I could've been embarrassed about the fact that I'd included the word love on my tag- but I didn't let it bother me. At least that's what my head said, my face told another story when he smiled as he finished reading the small message. It was a genuine smile though, not one of mocking.

"Shall we open them now?" he asked "Since we won't see each other at Christmas."

I couldn't come up with a convincing reason not too that didn't involve the fact that most of the blood in my body was already in my face and any more may result in a trip to the emergency room. So instead I just said "Sure, ok, you first."

And with that he pulled the lid off the tin revealing a large batch of my peanut butter cookies. The same ones he'd bought at the school the other week and a hand written recipe card I'd prepared so that he could make them himself if he wanted to. I watched his face for his reaction. His smile broadened and his eyes lit up like the Christmas trees that filled the restaurant and every other place in town.

"These are great" he said, honesty evident in his voice. "Your turn" he said looking eagerly at the packet I had put on the counter.

I picked it up and ran my fingers over the smooth paper. He'd obviously taken great care wrapping these. I hooked my thumb under one edge of the paper and tore the paper open. The mittens inside were beautiful. The embroidery was so intricate.

"Aw, these are so pretty. Thank you so much." I looked up into his smiling face and he leaned in. For a moment I was going to let him kiss me there, in a kitchen full of staff. It wouldn't have mattered much since the rest of the world seems to melt away when he kisses me, but I do have to worry about hygiene standards. So I pulled myself back to reality and put my hands on his chest. "Not here." I told him. "I'm taking a break." I said to everyone else. "Try not to burn anything down whilst I'm gone." And I took Edward by the hand and led him out to the back of the restaurant.

Once outside he wrapped his arms around my waist and whispered in my ear "Aren't you the member of staff most likely to burn something." I punched him lightly on the arm. He didn't know me well enough to tease me yet. Then he looked in my eyes. Ok so he did know me well enough.

"You know this is where I first spoke to you" I told him. He looked puzzled for a moment.

"Oh you mean on the phone?" he asked. I nodded. "Well we'll have to make it our spot" he said.

I chuckled at that. "What?" he looked confused.

"Next to the dustbins behind a crowded kitchen, real romantic Edward." It was my turn to tease.

"Who said we couldn't make it romantic?" he questioned and with that his lips descended on mine and I was once against lost. I was sure it was unfair for one person to have such power over me but at that moment I didn't care. I pressed back against his smooth lips eagerly; wrapping my hands in his hair and bringing my body flush against his. When he pulled away minutes later I felt it was too soon but I knew there were desserts waiting for my ok and he had a table full of his colleagues to rejoin.

"I don't want to wait two more weeks to do that again." He said stroking the side of my face.

"Me either."I admitted snaking my arms around his waist and holding him close for a moment.

"Ah well. Absence makes the heart grow fonder and all that." He mumbled. Clearly not pleased by the idea.

"Can't we meet up for coffee or something before then?" I tried.

"No I'm leaving for home in a couple of days, spend the holiday with my family and won't be back until the day before our date" he explained, regret obvious in his tone.

"Oh." I said disappointed.

"Yeah, it sucks." He agreed. Then he kissed me again and took my hand. "We'd better get back inside before you're as white as that jacket used to be."

He thanked me again for the gift, refused to give me any hint as to where our date was going to be and left the kitchen, leaving me to chocolate mousse and my thoughts. Two weeks on Saturday couldn't get here soon enough.

**A/N so I think I deserve a round of applause- not only have I met my self set deadline for this chapter but its probably the longest chapter I have ever written. **

**Thank you so much to everyone who reviewed chapter 7- it meant a lot that you took the time to tell me what you think. As an extra incentive for you to review this chapter I have the first 400 or so words of chapter 9 and will PM it to every person who submits a signed review.**

**Until next time- Keep smiling-Raichelle**


	9. Chapter 9

So I decided to update sooner than I had planned...

I'd like to thank all of you who reviewed the last chapter (All six of you) thanks so much for you comments. I love you all.

**Disclaimer-** you know the drill by now I don't own the characters or anything else just an overactive imagination and my laptop.

Chapter 9

The holiday's passed in a whirl of presents, chocolate and music. Bella and Alice had both been working stupid shifts at the restaurant because many of the staff members wanted to spend the time with their families, and Bella didn't begrudge them one bit, but she did have small periods of resentment when her feet were aching the way they were on one such evening when Bella and Alice arrived home at midnight.

"Jeez. I thought that hen party was never going to leave." Alice complained kicking off her work shoes and collapsing on the couch in a heap. Bella joined her.

"I was more annoyed at the bloke who sent his steak back three times" she grumbled. Usually Bella went on the theory that the customer was always right- but every now and then some customer bashing was called for.

"I know. Ugh and now Christmas is over people are not tipping well. Twelve measly dollars in a whole night" Alice continued.

"At least we have tomorrow off" Bella reminded her.

"Yeah" She agreed getting a far off, dreamy, look on her face.

"You spending it with Jasper?" Bella asked out of curiosity.

"Yeah. And that reminds me do we have any of your chocolate chip cookies in the house. I want to take him some."

"We do" she told her. "Why are you taking him cookies? I didn't realise we'd travelled back to the fifties." she teased.

"They're his favourite and he will definitely need a pick-me-up tomorrow." Alice told her matter-of-factly.

"Why?" Bella asked her curiosity peaked.

"He had to go see his dad today." Alice told her.

"And why is that a bad thing?" She asked confused as to why family time equalled cookies.

"His dad is in prison." She said.

"What!" Bella was shocked, not just because of the information but also because Alice had kept this somewhat important detail to herself. "What for?" she asked.

"I'm not really sure, Jasper doesn't really like to talk about it and I'm not going to push him." Alice told her. Bella understood the younger girl's apprehension but if it was her she'd want to know. You never know how much of that stuff was genetic. "Your date with Mr Ass-I'm sorry- Mr Cullen tomorrow" she said changing the subject.

"Yeah" Bella confirmed in an off-hand way.

"You nervous?" she asked.

"Bit late for that Alice." she chuckled.

"Guess your right" Alice conceded. "Any idea where he's taking you?"

"Not a blinking clue. I know it will be cold, because of the mittens, but other than that I haven't the foggiest bloody idea."

(The next day)

Bella's POV

"An ice rink?!" I stared at the venue Edward had chosen with a mixture of shock and disbelief on my face. "You have to be kidding me!"

"Nope." He replied with a smirk.

"Have I not already told you, or at least implied that I have a sufficient lack of co-ordination, balance and grace on surfaces that are flat, warm and not slippery even when wearing shoes with a large surface area? Putting me on tiny little blades and on ice is just asking for trouble." He let me get to the end of the rant without interrupting me, the amused smile on his face growing steadily the more enraged I became. I was acutely aware that I sounded insane but I didn't care. I put my hands on my hips and waited expectantly.

"I just thought that you did so well with the dancing that maybe you'd be willing to give it a go." He tried to explain his reasoning to me. I just raised an eyebrow at him with a look that needed no words to say 'I'm not doing this.' Then he brought out the big guns. He took my face into his warm, soft hands "Please give it a go?" he asked and without waiting for an answer he leant in to press his lips to mine. The argument I had been planning on coming back with died on the spot and I gave in to the kiss. Each time he kissed me it was like the first time all over again, like my mind erased all previous kisses because I could not have felt anything as perfect before. "For me?" he asked as he pulled away, like he'd never stopped talking. I looked in his eyes and my battle was lost. For once words had failed me. I could think of no retort, no convincing counter-argument, not even one word of protest because this man was looking at me with an expression in his eyes that would have put Bambi out of business.

"Ok" I said in defeat and I was rewarded with another heart-stopping kiss. I smiled "but don't say I didn't warn you."

He rolled his eyes at me as we walked inside.

"Did I mention how good those gloves look on you yet?" he asked as he opened the door for me.

"You might have mentioned it once or twice" I teased with a grin. He had complimented me and the gloves several times since he picked me up about half an hour ago. "What about your gift? Did you enjoy the cookies? Did you make more?" I asked curious.

"I enjoyed them very much but I didn't cook any, my sister-in-law did though." He told me.

"Oh and how were they?" I asked.

"Good, but not as good as yours." He said snaking his arm around my waist as we came to the counter. Edward paid- much to my distress. He wouldn't take my share when I offered it. He led us over to the place we could rent skates from .

"A size ten for me and a..." he trailed off as he looked at me.

"A six for me, please" I supplied. He was a size ten... well you know what they say about men with big feet, I thought. Then I stopped myself- those thoughts led to dangerous places in my mind that needn't be visited whilst in a public place filled with people. Nevertheless I felt a blush creep up my face and hoped that Edward wouldn't see and if he did that he wouldn't comment. Apparently my wishful thinking paid off as no comment was made. We sat down with the skates we were handed and put them on; handing our shoes to clerk who had found our skates, then, with no other things to sort out Edward tentatively led me towards the ice.

"Easy" he said soothingly as he stepped onto the ice first and then took both my hands in his and gently eased backwards as I placed my feet gingerly on the shiny white surface. I wobbled slightly and he moved one of his hands to my waist to steady me. "It's ok" he said trying to incite confidence he didn't know I was void of, at least in this situation. Put me in a kitchen with some ingredients and I am as sure as anything. But here, even with Edward's strong arms around me, I felt like I was treading thin ice-not just literally.

Edward started talking to me, no doubt trying to keep my mind off my clumsy feet and all the ways they were going to fail me.

"How was your Christmas?" he asked

"It was good, I worked, of course, Christmas is one of our busiest days but every year I close between three and six and the employees that want to go home and eat with their families do and the rest of us have our families come to the restaurant, we push all the tables together and eat together, like a big party. I always enjoy that." I explained the tradition I'd built over the last four years since I'd opened the restaurant.

"That sound nice" he said looking thoughtful. "Did you get to spend much time with Alice?"

"Yeah, most of the time she's at work when I am. She's saving up for a car." I explained "She has no idea I'm buying her one for her seventeenth birthday in a few months. But I like having her at the restaurant with me anyway. If she weren't we wouldn't see each other much at all and I would hate that. I grew up without any siblings and Alice is like the sister I never had" I admitted with a smile.

"I would've loved to grow up without a sibling sometimes." He joked. "But there have been times when I honestly don't know what I would've done without him." He said looking thoughtful.

"Your family means a lot to you?" I asked seeing the emotion when he talked about his brother.

"Yeah. They were there to look after me, when I wasn't doing such a good job of it myself." He said looking remorseful. "And I would do anything for Emmett, and his wife, Rosalie, she's such a great person, once you get past the initial shock of meeting her. She's one of those people who make a bad first impression and are better the more you get to know them." He explained seeing my quizzical expression. "And their kid is so amazing, let me show you." He put his left hand in his back pocket and brought out his wallet out and opened it revealing a photograph. A dark haired man on the left with a smile that mirrored the one Edward often had, was obviously his brother, Emmet. His arm was around the shoulders of a stunning, blonde haired woman. It was easy to see why she might not make a good first impression. She was so beautiful. It must take a while for people to get over that. Between them sat a young boy with the sandy hair of his mother and the dark eyes of his father a huge smile on his face and a party hat on top of his head. I could tell from the photo that he would be a hard kid to hate.

"They're such a cute family" I commented. "The kid is adorable." Edwards grinned at that.

"Yeah, when I see him I know I want kids someday." He said a far-off longing look in his eyes as he returned his wallet to his pocket.

"You want kids?" I asked trying to sound casual.

"Yeah eventually." He said. I let out a breath, relieved- so he didn't mean soon.

"Not content with being single huh?" I teased.

"Not really. I can't cook and I hate being alone" He replied with a smile.

"You can't cook?" I asked shocked.

"No. My fridge holds nothing but Budweiser and my cupboards only house pot noodles and pop-tarts. I eat out a lot and go to Emmett's when I want a home-cooked meal. That's why she cooked your recipe-not me." He explained and I laughed. "Bella?" he said in question.

"What?" I asked.

"Don't freak out but you're doing it- skating by yourself." Before his words had fully registered with me I looked down and was surprised to see his hands were not gripping mine but my feet were still moving forward at a steady pace. When had he let go- how had I not noticed? I didn't have long to ponder the answers to these questions as shock hit and my feet- traitors as they were slipped from under me. On my way down I managed to hit one of his skates effectively knocking Edward down with me. With a loud "Oomph", we both hit the ice.

I quickly brought my arms into my chest. Not wanting to get y fingers chopped off by another skater. In a matter of seconds Edward had recovered and was kneeling over me. "Are you okay?" he asked, looking worried. I started laughing. I couldn't explain what I found so funny but I couldn't stop laughing. My entire body shook with the force of my giggles. Edward started laughing too as he pulled me to my feet. I continued to laugh, clutching my stomach as it began to ache from the force of my mirth. "I...told you...so." I managed to choke out between chuckles.

He led us off the ice. "So you did." He conceded. "Shall I get us some hot chocolate?" He asked. I nodded as he sat me down at a bench. He gave my forehead an affectionate peck. "Then I'll be right back." He said and turned off no-doubt in search of hot chocolate. As I watched him walk away I found myself thinking '_No wonder Alice calls him Mr Ass._'

**So I'm going to leave it here. I know, I know, I'm mean and it will make the story longer than I had planned but it seems natural to leave it here. And it means you see it now and not on Saturday. I have a big Alice/Jasper lemon planned for the next chapter- for those of you that are interested and of course- the rest of Edward and Bella's date. **

**Please review**

**Until next time...Keep Smiling- Raichelle. **


	10. Chapter 10

**So this is a little later than I had planned but I'm very busy. We're moving house soon and that's taking up a lot of my time along with the whole looking for a job thing. Hope you enjoy this and please review.**

**Disclaimer- none of the characters in this fic belong to me- no matter how much I wish I had my very own Jasper.**

**Chapter 10**

Alice's POV

When I pulled up outside Jasper's house in the truck he was stood on the front porch waiting for me. Even in an old faded red T-Shirt and jeans he looked breath-taking.

"Hey you" I greeted bounding out of the truck and into his waiting arms. "How're you?" I asked as he held me close and I was enveloped by his scent, it was like liquorice and marshmallows.

"I'm okay" he replied "better now your here though." I beamed at the compliment. He looked down at my hands and back up in question.

"Oh I brought these for you." I told him and passed him the box of cookies. They were made fresh this morning.

"Wow Thanks. You didn't have to." He said smiling as he opened the lid and saw the double chocolate chip treats.

"That's okay. I didn't." I confessed with a grin. "Bella had a lot of nervous energy to dispel before her date with Mr Ass."

"Ah I see. Well I'm glad I'm reaping the benefits. Come in" and we went inside.

I'd been to Jasper's house before, plenty of times but each time I was struck again by its neatness. Not that there's anything wrong with it. It just made the place more like a show-home than a real home. The few photographs lined on the mantle piece were the only evidence that someone lived here. It was so different to mine and Bella's place which was filled with the clutter of our everyday lives. The walls here were a fresh shade of off-white and the floors were so shiny that my reflection was near perfect in them.

"So where are we doing this." I asked, referring to painting, today was Jaspers turn.

"My room" he told me and headed up the stairs motioning for me to follow him.

I had never been in Jasper's room before. We've been friends for ages but whenever we'd been here before we'd study at the dining room table or hang out on the sofa in the living room. I was anxious as I followed him up the stairs and left through the door to his room.

I wasn't shocked by his room. If I had been asked to predict what this room looked like I would have been practically spot on. The walls were painted a deep green colour, along one wall was his bed (I tried not to think about that), next to that there was a huge bookcase that was full to bursting. The opposite wall was taken up by a closet and large notice board covered with pieces of artwork, photographs, concert posters and the like, his school timetable and calendar were dutifully tacked into one corner. On the far wall, opposite the door was a wide window, his easel was set up in front of it, it was pretty obvious why. The view of the forest and far off mountains from this angle was spectacular. How could you not be inspired by something like that.

Jasper watched my observation of the room, waiting for my opinion with bated breath.

"So?" he asked when he felt the quiet had gone on long enough.

"It's perfect." I said honestly "Very you."

He smiled. "I was worried about brining you up here" he admitted sheepishly.

"Really?" I asked, surprised. He usually over thought things but didn't usually worry over what other people thought. But then again, his opinion meant a lot to me so it shouldn't be so surprising that he felt the same.

"Yeah, you've never been up here and I wasn't sure what you would think." He explained.

"Ok. What are we doing today then?" I asked eager to start and see what he had thought up for today's activities.

"I want to carry on where we left off last time but reverse our roles." He explained quickly as though if he didn't get the words out now he wouldn't even say them.

"You want me to pose for you- topless?" I said coyly.

"Y...Yes" he stammered, nodding.

"No need to be so nervous Jazz." I said smiling at his obvious anxiety. He was just _too_ cute some times.

I unbuttoned the simple butter-yellow shirt I'd put on this morning and placed it on the footboard of Jasper's bed then reached behind me to unhook my bra. I watched Jaspers face as I pulled the fabric away from my chest. His eyes seemed to shine as they dropped from my face to my chest. His lips parted and his breath seemed to quicken. I loved knowing I had that effect on him.

After a few moments he seemed to realise he was staring at my breasts and raised his eyes to mine blushing. "Sorry" he mumbled as he busied himself with paints and brushes.

"You don't have to be Jazz." I told him. "You're welcome to look all you want. To do more than look if you want" I added suggestively.

"Maybe later" he said searching for a canvas the right size for what he wanted.

"Where do you want me?" I asked figuring he wasn't going to paint me standing.

I heard an undecipherable mumble from Jasper.

"What?" I asked.

He coughed lightly "Bed" he said and his cheeks flushed again. He was as bad as Bella. I walked over to the bed and lay down placing my head on his pillow.

"Like this?" I asked him as he moved his easel so he could get a view of the bed whilst he worked.

"Yeah. But could you cover your legs with the duvet? It spoils the image for you to have jeans on." I hadn't thought about that. I guess it would look odd for a model to only be topless. I slipped my legs under Jaspers blanket and left it lying across my hips. I could smell him on the sheets. I could lie here forever.

"Perfect" he told me and turned his stereo on before starting to paint. He liked to listen to music as he painted. The soothing tones of a piano and string quartet seemed to help him concentrate.

"How did it go with your dad yesterday?" I asked after a while.

"OK, better than usual." He told me never taking his eyes from the canvas.

"That's good." I said not sure how to respond.

"Yeah, I told him about you and me about us applying to colleges together. He seemed impressed that you'll be graduating a year early." He said smiling.

"He better be impressed. I worked my ass off this summer whilst you were off hitting baseballs for two months." I said in mock anger.

I had decided last spring that I didn't want to watch my best friend go off to college without me whilst I tackled senior year alone, so I had thrown myself into summer school courses with as much energy I could muster whilst he went off to camp. I'd gotten great grades for the last few years and after the summer I had just as many credits as Jasper and would be graduating this summer with him. We'd applied to all the same places RISD, Stanford, Berkeley and UW but the dream, for both of us, was Princeton. We had worked so hard on our applications for that one that we saw no reason for them to turn us down. Yet we waited in fear for the response. The nightmare would be if one of us was accepted and the other wasn't. I dismissed this thought. No need to worry about that just yet.

We settled into silence again. I listened to the gentle melody from his speakers punctuated with the soft sounds of his paintbrushes against the canvas. It wasn't long before I let my eyes close and the sounds lulled me into a peaceful sleep.

Jasper's POV

I continued to paint after her breathing evened out and she began to snore softly. It felt a little wrong to watch her as she slept, like an invasion of privacy. But it was all the name of art and her peacefulness in sleep was easily translated into the painting. It automatically made the scene more intimate. Though I didn't think I'd done Alice any justice in the finished piece. I could never create a true likeness of her. She was to perfect to be replicated. But I had done my best.

Sighing as I set my brush down a final time I looked over at her. She was smiling in her sleep and I hoped she was dreaming of me. I made my way over to the bed and lay down next to her. I wrapped my arms around her small form and stoked her hair absent mindedly. I found myself wondering if this would be what next year would be like for us. Spending our mornings in class creating potential masterpieces and our afternoons wrapped up in each others arms... the possibilities.

"Jazz?" Alice mumbled sleepily. I hadn't noticed her wake and she looked up at me dazedly.

"Good afternoon sleepyhead." I greeted her and lowered my head to kiss her.

"Mmmm..." Alice moaned into my mouth almost immediately. I loved the sounds she made when we kissed. And we had several hours to kill. My mom would be gone for hours yet. She was photographing some celebrity's house before going to have dinner with some friends. I moved my lips from her mouth to her jaw, neck and then shoulder and was rewarded for my efforts with a gasp and a groan as Alice's hands gripped my arms a little tighter. My hands moved gently from her waist to her breasts as she continued to make the cutest little mewls of appreciation.

She seemed to be irritated that I was more clothed than she was though, after a wile she snaked her hands to the hem of my t-shirt and my mouth and hands were momentarily separated from her as she tugged it over my head before throwing it on the floor behind me. I quickly replaced my lips on her shoulder as she ran her hands over my back.

I kissed the soft skin over her collarbone lightly before moving down to kiss the swell of her breasts and taking one of her delicate-looking rose coloured nipples into my mouth.

"Oh... god Jazz." She moaned running her fingertips through my hair now. I groaned too, my hardness pressing into her thigh. I had been stupid to think I could slow things down with Alice. I was scared that things would change too much if Alice and I slept together. Or that I wouldn't live up to her expectations and she'd realise she could do better. But when we were here, like this and the rest of the world disappeared it was hard to think of anything other than how wonderful making love to Alice would be.

I returned my mouth to hers and held her even tighter to me. I jumped, eyes snapping open as I felt her hand brush over the bulge in my jeans. She was looking at me, her eyes full of question as she looked at my crotch. I followed her gaze to find her hands on my button. I understood the unspoken question here but didn't trust my brain to make a coherent sentence so I merely nodded and smiled my consent. She smiled back at me for the briefest of moment before crushing my lips to hers with an indescribable passion, whilst her little hands made short work of my button and zipper. In next to no time my jeans were pushed from my hips along with my boxers and Alice's soft fingers were wrapped around my erection and moving in a gentle rhythm that had me gasping for air.

I had heard enough locker room talk for me to know that right now I should be thinking of anything but what was actually happening if I wanted this to last more than ten seconds but when I opened my eyes and saw Alice looking up at me I had a hard time thinking of anything but the love and desire written on her face and mirrored in my heart. She stroked a little harder and I groaned as pleasure shot through me like a lightning bolt.

Come on Jasper, you can think of something, anything, to make this feeling last a little longer, I thought to myself in panic. Math, I could think about math. Maybe not anything advanced like quadratic equations but still math. The seven times table. Easy enough, one times seven is seven, two times seven is fourteen, three times seven is twenty-one... Alice kissed my chest with feather light kisses as she sped up the pace of her stokes.

F...four t...times seven i...is twenty... twenty eight. Damn that was incredible. "Alice" I whispered softly as I ran my hand down the ride of her face, locking her eyes with mine. I wanted to tell her how stupid I'd been to put this off. That I wasn't afraid anymore, that I loved her and I knew now that although sex would change things between us it would be for the better but all my foggy brain and un-co-operative mouth could manage was her name. My eyes seemed to say it all though as she whispered "I know" and returned to my mouth with increased feeling.

Five times seven is... is... is... I failed to remember the number as Alice added a twist of her wrist to her movements. This girl was unbelievable she had rendered me, Jasper '_math club'_ Whitlock, incapable of performing fifth grade level multiplication. I gave in to the sensations now. As with everything that involved Alice- resistance was futile.

Moments later I felt a familiar tightening sensation and gripped my sheets in anticipation. In the back of my mind something told me I had to let Alice know, it was the polite thing to do but all I could manage was "Alice...I" before with a final gasp I shook with the force of my release.

I was still for a few minutes, unable to move, just revelling in the aftershocks of my first (non self induced) orgasm. Alice's lips on my cheeks and eyelids brought me back to earth and I opened my eyes to drink in the sight of my girl. The sun was setting now and the red glow coming through my window made Alice look even more angel-like than usual.

I would have to get back to my worshipping of Alice's body later though I had more pressing matters to deal with and I leant over to my nightstand grabbing a conveniently situated box of tissues and began cleaning up the evidence of my orgasm from my stomach. When I was done with that Alice offered her hand to me.

"Oh... I got you all sticky...sorry" I said as I took another tissue and wiped her hand gently but thoroughly.

"That's ok Jazz, you were kind of distracted at the time." She said gently.

"I was huh?" I replaced the box of tissues and the soiled ones on my nightstand to throw away later. I took Alice's face in my hands and looked her dead in the eyes. I had to get this out. "I love you Alice. Truly, not just because of that, which was amazing, by the way, but because you are the most remarkable person I've ever met, a real force of nature. I love you." I repeated myself. I didn't have enough words for what I felt so I just repeated the ones that were most important.

"I love you too Jazz." She didn't need to say anything else. That was all I needed. I hugged her close, bringing my blanket up around our shoulders and breathed her in. I had no more reservations about us taking our physical relationship further but for now I just wanted to enjoy the moment and hold my baby close.

Edwards POV

"No, no, no, no" Bella was shaking her head at me as we sat in the car driving back to her place. "I can't believe what I'm hearing tight now. Are you seriously trying to claim that Combat Rock was a better album than London Calling?" We'd been discussing music for the better part of the drive, agreeing on most things but we hit a speed bump with the discussion of the best Clash album.

"It was." I protested, loving the way her face reddened in frustration.

"No it wasn't. You are so frustrating." She slumped back against the seat seemingly giving up on me.

"I'll make sure I give you the opportunity to prove me wrong sometime. How's that sound?" I asked as I pulled into her drive. She smiled.

"Sounds like a date to me." I got out of the car and opened her door for her. I smiled. She must have had a good time if she wanted a second date. Not that I was surprised. I'd had one of the best days of my life today. I was glad she had too. I could barely remember a time I had been so relaxed and happy. I took her hand as we walked towards her front door.

I had had many opportunities to kiss Bella today and had taken advantage of each and every one but this was the one that mattered. I pushed the stubborn lock of hair back from her face and tucked it behind her ear. "I had an amazing time today." I told her leaning in.

"Me too" she agreed and mirrored my actions her lips meeting mine. My hands went to her waist as hers wrapped around my neck. I could lose myself in this woman, her taste, her smell and her sexy little moans. Damn it! I pushed her up against her door as I tried frantically to show her just how much I had enjoyed spending the day with her. She responded with enthusiasm, wrapping one of her legs around mine.

When we finally broke apart we were both shaking and gasping for air. We both knew it wasn't going to go any father than this tonight and we were ok with that. Well ok maybe not OK but I could respect it at least. I wanted to do this properly. I didn't want to give her any reason to regret us and she would if things went too fast.

"I'll call you tomorrow." I promised with a final brush of my lips on hers.

"I'll look forward to it." She whispered back before going inside.

I walked back to my car. Today couldn't have gone better.

Bella's POV

I walked inside and headed for the living room. Alice was there, sat on the couch with her History textbook in her lap. But she wasn't studying, just staring into space.

As I dropped beside her on the couch she turned to look at me. I must have been smiling like a maniac because all she said was "Good day?"

"Very." I replied and sighed.

"Yeah me too." She said sighing identically before looking forward and continuing whatever daydream she'd been indulging in before I got in.

It had been a while since both of us had been so happy and a small part of me knew it couldn't possibly last. I told that part of me to shut the hell up.

Edwards POV

(Monday morning)

I walked into the principles office, dread filling me from head to toes.

"Have a seat Mr Cullen" he told me surveying me over his glasses. "I assume you understand what this is about?" he asked me. I certainly did.

"I have a pretty good idea." I replied.

"It has come to my attention that you are continuing an inappropriate relationship with a parent of one of your pupils." He said. Here we go...

**I know you probably hate me for leaving it there. But I love cliff hangers. I'm looking forward to hearing what you guys all think of this chapter. It was my first ever lemon so go easy on me- though constructive criticism is appreciated too. Thanks to all of you who reviewed the last chapter your little angels. Until next time...Keep smiling...Raichelle x**


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N this chapter has taken me ages to write- sorry but there is a lot in it. Part of the blames lies with some of the other authors on this site though I have been reading more than I have been writing because some of the stories really draw you in.**

**I know there have been some pretty odd typos and stuff in previous chapters and I will go back and fix em at some point. I have checked this chapter thoroughly and hopefully got them all. **

**I just wanted to say thank you to all those of you who have put this on their favourites/alerts this is my most favourited/alerted story so that make me very happy. And an extra special thank you to everyone who reviewed the last chapter. Your comments make my day. Please don't forget to review this one.**

**Disclaimer- much to my disappointment when I woke up this morning I still did not own Twilight- oh well there's always tomorrow.**

Chapter 11

_PREVIOUSLY_

_Edwards POV_

_(Monday morning)_

_I walked into the principles office, dread filling me from head to toes. _

"_Have a seat Mr Cullen" he told me surveying me over his glasses. "I assume you understand what this is about?" he asked me. I certainly did._

"_I have a pretty good idea." I replied._

"_It has come to my attention that you are continuing an inappropriate relationship with a parent of one of your pupils." He said. Here we go..._

Was he waiting for me to deny it? He'd be waiting a damn long time if he was.

"Whilst relationships with parents are not against school policy, having physical relations with anyone inside the building and grounds most certainly is." he continued in his most disapproving tone. The one he usually reserved for tenth graders found doing pot behind the library. I stayed quiet, much like a tenth grader would. "Now Mr Cullen in the two years you have taught here you've had a pretty spotless record so I'm not going to suspend you. But anything like this happens again and there will be consequences. Do you understand?"

"Yes Sir" I answered seriously. "And thank you for your tolerance" I said honestly. I was expecting far worse so I was grateful for this outcome where I wouldn't have to end my relationship with Bella to save my job. Or sneak around with Bella, which was the more likely outcome as I fear I am now in way to deep to end the relationship.

"No problem, your an excellent teacher. Everyone would hate to lose you as staff." He told me.

"I have four students in detention this afternoon that would disagree with that statement." I joked as I left the office to go photocopy some handouts for first period.

(Later that day)

I had barely wished my sixth period juniors a pleasant evening (a feat near impossible considering the paper I had given them) when my mobile started ringing. I reached into my jacket and answered the phone quickly if only to stop the ringtone Emmett had given himself from blaring in my classroom. My students would not let me live it down if they heard 'I'm too sexy' coming from anything belonging to me. My lack of technology know-how meant I had no idea how to get rid of it.

"Hey little brother" Emmett said as I answered.

"Hey annoying git!" I replied spinning in a circle in my swivel chair.

"Now what could I possibly have done to earn that cute little nick-name?" he asked mockingly.

"I'm at school, which you know full well, and my phone just rang which you also know, and the ringtone you choose was ridiculously loud, another fact that you are aware of." I said the sarcasm palpable.

"What did the kids think?" he asked stifling his laugher.

"That's where you plan went to hell Oh annoying one." I told him. "Class let out a few minutes ago so the only set of ears you offended are mine." I told him.

"Damn!" he sounded genuinely disappointed. I would definitely have to get him back for that one.

"So is there a reason behind your call?" I asked. I had hoped to get these papers marked and then head over to the restaurant and see Bella, tell her about my little chat with Principle-Holier-than-thou this morning. But that wouldn't be possible if this turned into an Emmett rant-a-thon call.

"Just wanted to see what you were getting mom and dad for their anniversary... and check you were planning on coming to the party... and see if you were planning on bringing a date." Emmett said in an almost convincing casual tone.

"I'm going to get them my customary bottle of champers and will no doubt end up performing at least one song for them- you know I can't resist mom's Bambi expression." I told him already bored with the conversation. "I guess that answers your question about my attendance. As for the date enquiry- I haven't asked Bella yet- and I'm not sure if I will. I have serious doubts over weather or not introducing her to you is a good idea." I quipped.

"Hey, not fair! I have a highly hormonal, pregnant wife who wants to meet your girl and she will blame me if that does not happen." Emmett whined. Even when he was miles away he was able to annoy me.

"That's good considering it would be your fault." I confirmed.

"Come on Eddie, I promise to be good" he pleaded.

"Calling me Eddie is not going to help your case." I told him.

"I could beg, plead, grovel..." he said.

"I like that idea...what you got?" I asked smiling now.

"Or I could just use blackmail."

I didn't like the change in his tone one bit. This could only be bad. Very, very bad.

"I do believe mom never found out what happened to that crystal vase of grandma's that got 'lost'." He said with a smirk so evil I could hear it. To my horror he continued "Or what about those photo's of you from my stag do- I bet your boss wouldn't be pleased if they ended up plastered all over the halls of Forks High" he said. DAMN! I thought I'd gotten all of those.

"Fine" I conceded. "I'll bring Bella- or I'll ask her at least. But only because my boss is already pissed at me and I don't want to give him any reason to fire me."I said grudgingly.

"Oh- do tell. How'd you piss your boss off? Has Eddie been a naughty boy? You steal stationary or something?"

"Emmett!" I yelled like I would have at one of my students.

"Sorry"

"And no, I didn't steal stationary. He found out about me and Bella" I admitted.

"Oh" Emmett replied understanding the implications of this fact. "Was he real pissed?"

"Not really about the relationship, but about the making out on school property-yeah he was pissed." I told him.

"Yeah I could see where that would get in the way of the whole 'leading by example' part of teaching." Emmett said thoughtfully.

"Yeah exactly" I replied. I decided it was time to change the subject. "So how's my favourite nephew and mum to be?"

"Oh he's the same as ever. He's just discovered sixties music so we're suffering through the Beatles, the Monkees and the Bee Gees. And Rose is the same as last time. Throwing up every morning and eating the strangest combination of food every evening which, now I think about it, explains the throwing up. Its not morning sickness it's the stupid food she keeps craving."

I laughed at that. "I'll send some CD's for Seth. The Kinks and The Who, I may even have a couple of Rolling stones tracks on vinyl somewhere. As for Rose I remember the last time she was pregnant and I tried to get in between her ice-cream and peanut butter so you're on your own on that one." I told him.

"Thanks. Just give us a call when you know if Bella's coming or not ok?" he asked me.

"I will Em, bye"

"Bye" and he hung up. I looked at the clock. It was not too early to go see Bella. She'd take a break if I went to the restaurant. I grabbed my keys and headed for my car.

(30 minutes later)

Bella's POV

"Jess these salads have been sat on the counter for more than five minutes. Get them to table three now!" I barked. I hated being so snappy with the employees but we were very busy (rare for this time of year) and I didn't want customers walking out. As Jessica disappeared with the plates I turned my attention to the steaks in front of me. I was so absorbed in my work I didn't notice the staff entrance open or notice the person entering the kitchen until he whispered in my ear.

"Hey there" I shivered at the sensation of his breath on my ear.

"Hi" I said turning to peck him lightly on the lips before moving the steaks from the grill and onto plates. "Mike, finish these for me" I asked and taking y apron and hair net and placing them on my hook I took Edwards hand and led him outside. I loved the moments when Edward showed up at work.

Once outside in the fresh, crisp January air he wrapped his arms around me and kissed me soundly. I didn't protest and smiled into the kiss loving the fact that he couldn't keep his hands off me any longer than was necessary. When we finally broke apart for some much needed air I decided we should probably talk.

"So, to what do I owe the pleasure of this visit?" I asked him.

"I had a meeting with the head today" he told me.

"Oh" I didn't know what to say, but I felt there was probably more.

"II seems Marks was quite eager to let the boss-man know exactly what he saw on the night of the dance." He told me. I groaned in remorse.

"God Edward, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to put your job in any danger." I said in a rush.

"Don't worry about it." He said pulling me closer to his chest and wrapping his jacket around the both of us. "Besides I kissed you, remember?" of course I remember.

"That's right, you did, it's all your fault." I teased.

"I didn't hear you complaining" he said leaning in again, teasing my lips ever so lightly with his.

"And your not going to any time soon" I told him pressing my lips to his a little more forcefully. "But seriously," I continued when I started to get light-headed and pulled away. "You're not in trouble at work are you?"

"No- not really" he said "But I don't think you'll be invited to any more school functions" he added.

"Oh how ever will I live?" I said dramatically raising one of my hands to my forehead.

"Don't quit with the chef thing baby, because your acting needs a lot of work." He said laughing. I giggled back.

"So what are we doing tomorrow?"I asked smiling.

"Tomorrow?" he looked puzzled.

"Well my boss has given me the night off." I said "And I thought we could do something."

He seemed to like that idea. "I must thank your boss for being so considerate. But how?"

"Oh I can think of a few ways." I said looking up at him through my eyelashes.

"But what way would be best. I want to do this right. Your boss is a great lady, kind, talented and not to mention incredibly sexy" great- now I was blushing. "You're adorable" he added when he saw this, capturing my lips with his again.

"Come over to my place tomorrow. We'll watch a movie and you can try to explain your clash album theory to me, how's six?"

"Great. I'll bring food, any preferences?"

"You don't have to do that. I can cook." I offered.

"I know that silly girl, but you cook all day, you deserve some down time." He told me. I couldn't argue with that logic.

"Ok. I do have a fondness for Chinese food." I told him.

"Great. I'll see you tomorrow beautiful." And with one final, heartbreakingly perfect kiss he was gone and I rushed back inside from the cold, smiling.

(The next day)

"Ally, you and Jasper are planning on making yourselves scarce in the next fifteen minutes right?"I asked Alice who was currently lounging on the couch with Jasper looking through a photography book trying to pick a subject for a project they were working on.

"Yes we're off upstairs in a minute to start work on some digitals we took earlier." She said. Good. "We only stayed down here so long because it was so fun watching you have a meltdown." She smiled angelically at me. Damn her, I was in no mood to be teased.

I had been rushing around the sitting room for the last 30 minutes straightening picture frames that were already straight, plumping cushions that were already plumped and re-arranging books on the bookcase before putting them back in the order they had been originally. I was a little nervous about having Edward in my house. It had so much me in it that I wanted him to like it.

Dead on six the doorbell rang.

"Bye Bells, come on Jasper." Alice grabbed the boy's hand and dragged him towards the stairs whispering "Relax, he likes you" to me on her way past me.

I went to the door. There he was in all his bronze haired glory. He looked especially good tonight, crazy hair, emerald eyes, dazzling, crooked smile...perfect. I looked down at his hands. My eyes bulged slightly at the size of the bag in his hands.

"I didn't know what you liked so I ordered a bunch of things" he said by way of an explanation.

"Well come on in" I invited and led him through to the sitting room. Usually I ate in the dining room but I had set the coffee table up so we could eat whilst we watched the movie. "Do you want a tour?" I asked as we walked through and he set the food down next to the plates and utensils.

"Maybe later" he said taking one of my hands in his and raising it to his lips. He skimmed over the back of my hands with his mouth before continuing his kisses up my wrists, forearm, the crease of my elbow and ending only when he met the fabric at my shoulder. "Mmmmm... I'd be willing to bet you taste better than the food." He said holding my eyes with his.

I blushed "Be that as it may I am starving, so let's eat. What kind of movie do you want to watch? We have a bit of everything" I asked.

"Anything's fine by me." He said. Well that was helpful. I settled on Notting Hill, you can't go wrong with a Hugh grant, Julia Robert's rom-com.

We sat down on the couch and ate quietly whilst we watched the film. After a while though, once the food was finished we stopped paying attention to the movie, too wrapped up in each other to notice anything happening on-screen. I hadn't made out on a couch like this since I was a teenager but right now I couldn't figure out why not. It was amazing- or maybe that was just Edward.

He pulled away from me at one point when a laugh sounded from upstairs.

"What was that?" he asked, a little breathless.

"Oh, Alice and Jasper are upstairs." I said dismissively and tried to reclaim his lips. He pulled back a little.

"Your okay with your teenage daughter being upstairs-alone- with her boyfriend?" he asked me.

"Yes" I replied "Alice is her own person."

"But as a mom shouldn't you be discouraging that kind of thing?" he seemed confused.

"Alice and I have a unique relationship. And as far as I'm concerned as long as she doesn't do anything illegal or dangerous I don't mind. She's honest with me that way." I told him. "Of course I might be different if Alice was my biological daughter. I don't think I would, but I might be. Alice has always been more of a friend than a daughter- she's always been so grown up. She's more mature than me sometimes" I continued "Why were we talking about Alice right now?" I asked.

"I have no idea." He replied and continued kissing me.

(Meanwhile-upstairs)

Alice's POV

"Jazz that's hilarious!" I said between giggles looking at the image on the computer screen.

"As hilarious as this?" he asked lunging forward at me and tickling my ribs. I squirmed out of my chair in an effort to get away from him. He merely followed me, and he tackled me, laughing the whole time as we landed in a tangle of limbs on my bed. Suddenly all traces of humour were gone. It was like the moment was charged with electricity or something. We just lay there, Jazz on top of me, staring into each others eyes. Then without his usual hint of hesitation his lips were on mine.

He was more forceful than usual. Usually I took charge but tonight he was taking the lead. I kinda liked it. It was very sexy and I couldn't help but gasp when he kicked it up a notch further and ran his hands up my shirt and over my breasts. I had forgone a bra tonight since we'd just been hanging out here and he was taking full advantage of the fact, rubbing and pinching my nipples lightly as I moaned into his fevered kisses.

The most shocking thing happened next. I felt Jaspers hand at the drawstring to my pants and he whispered "can I?" Jesus yes! I just nodded, not sure what to say. He pulled on the drawstring and slipped his hand under the waistband before running his fingertips over my underwear covered sex. My hips thrust upward instinctively at the contact and I moaned into his mouth. I felt him smile into the kiss obviously proud of himself. I had wondered since last weekend if he planned to reciprocate. But I hadn't been expecting this tonight.

He continued to explore me through the barrier of my panties for a while whilst his other hand remained busy with one of my nipples. Then he slipped his hand into my underwear and began tracing my lower lips with his fingertips. I squirmed a little on the bed desperate for more contact. He seemed to understand because his fingers dipped between my lips and began to explore the softness there. He brushed against my clit in his explorations and I groaned loudly. He repeated the action, earning him a gasp. He smiled in triumph then continued his tour of my body, moving his fingers to my entrance before slipping one inside me. I gasped his name. "Oh god Jazz" I had never touched myself like this so I was unexpected for how it made me feel. He added another finger and I moaned more at the sensation "oh wow... god". He thrust his fingers a few times before returning his now wet fingers to my clit and rubbing it in small circles. I wondered briefly where he had learned this and then forgot all about it as his fingers continued to make me gasp in pleasure. A string of incoherent mumbles fell from my lips as my fingers traced very part of Jazz I could reach.

"Yes...Jazz...Oh my...yes....god....oh....mmmm."

Then it happened. I was completely unprepared, never having had an orgasm before. I gripped his shoulders tightly as my body trembled and I whispered his name whilst my sex felt as though someone had run an electric current through it that was now spreading to every cell in my body.

When my shaking subsided and my breathing evened out I opened my eyes (that I didn't remember closing) and looked at Jazz who pulled me close. He had a big goofy grin on his face, obviously very pleased with himself. Not that he didn't have every right to be, that was amazing. I had felt the same at the weekend. It was a bit of a power rush- the knowledge that you made somebody else come apart like that.

I felt like I should repay the favour but as I began to move my hand towards his jeans he stopped me.

"Not tonight. Tonight was about you" he told me and kissed my forehead and pulled me close. Damn! I was the luckiest girl alive.

(Later that night)

Edwards POV

"I had a fantastic time" I said as Bella and I stood on her porch saying good night.

"Yeah, me too" she said and leaned up on her tip toes to kiss me. I would never get tired of kissing Bella. I could do it all night and I had spent the largest portion of tonight doing just that. I had wanted to take it further but was making myself abide by the three date rule. And I might wait even longer than that. I had never done this before, not even with.... and I told myself it was because I didn't want to screw it up but really I knew it was because I was trying to be careful with my heart. But as I was starting to realise it might not be possible to protect my heart I was completely under this woman's spell. I had started falling for her the moment we met and now I was all but hopeless before her. I let myself lose myself in this one last kiss before finally stepping back.

"I've been meaning to ask you. My parent's anniversary is in a few weeks and my sister-in-law has planned a party and I was wondering if you'd like to come. You don't have to if you think it's too soon I just wanted to ask." I said quickly, fulfilling my promise to Emmett.

"I'd love to" she said. Really? Wow! I hadn't expected that. "Just let me know what day and I'll arrange things at work so I can come." She said.

"I'll all you tomorrow with the details" I promised and kissing her once more I whispered "goodnight" before forcing myself away and getting in my car. I watched her in my rear-view mirror as I drove away. She watched me go and I smiled.

Once at home I had a much needed cold shower after the night's activities, then I called Emmett.

"Hey Bro. It's late- something up?" he asked.

"No- I just wanted to let you know Bella is coming to the party."

"Really?" he sounded surprised. I dint know weather it was because I had actually asked her or that she was coming. "Rose will be over the moon." He said happily.

"You had better be on your best behaviour when you meet her." I warned.

"I will, I will." He said, an honest tone in his voice. "Sounds like you really like her" he commented

"I really do." I replied.

"As much as you liked..." he trailed off.

"More" I answered not needing him to finish the sentence.

"Wow!" came is reply "Allready?"

"Yep"

"But you two were..."

"I know"

"Wow!"

"Tell me about it." I said sighing as I thought about just how deep I was in right now.

(A few weeks later)

Alice sat cross legged on her bed a copy of Nineteen Eighty Four and her English Lit essay lay forgotten on the duvet as Alice ran he hand quickly across a page in her sketchbook with a pencil. As normal with this kind of sketch the urge to draw had become unbearable so she had abandoned her studies to find out what she was supposed to be seeing without actually seeing it. It wasn't until the last line was drawn and Alice blinked that she realised what she had drawn and the comprehension of the image hit her she dropped the pencil in shock and horror. This would kill Bella.

The image was of a room in a hospital that much was clear; the machines, the IV and the people in white lab coats with stethoscopes and clipboards. But the most disturbing aspect of the image was the patient. In the centre of the page on a hospital bed with a number of wires and tubes attached to various parts of his anatomy and his eyes closed, as if in sleep, was Edward.

**So I know I'm very mean to leave it there and I'm sorry but it really was the most sensible place to leave it. I won't be able to update for a week, maybe slightly more. I have to spend the next few days packing up my stuff because we're moving house on Friday and then there will be the kafuffle of unpacking everything and getting settled and I have plans to go see the new 'fame' this weekend as well, but I will update as soon as I get the chapter typed- the outline is already done in my notebook. **

**Please leave a review they do make my day and may lessen the stress of moving for me if I get a few extra emails...till next time...keep smiling...Raichelle x**


	12. Chapter 12

**Here we go- sorry its been longer between updates this time but with moving house and everything I've been a bit busy- hope its worth the wait.**

**Disclaimer- no matter how bad I want it- Twilight and all its characters do not belong to me but the very talented S Meyer.**

Chapter Twelve

PREVIOUSLY...

_Alice sat cross legged on her bed, a copy of Nineteen Eighty Four and her English Lit essay lay forgotten on the duvet as Alice ran he hand quickly across a page in her sketchbook with a pencil. As normal with this kind of sketch the urge to draw had become unbearable so she had abandoned her studies to find out what she was supposed to be seeing without actually seeing it. It wasn't until the last line was drawn and Alice blinked that she realised what she had drawn and as the comprehension of the image hit her she dropped the pencil in shock and horror. This would kill Bella._

_The image was of a room in a hospital that much was clear; the machines, the IV and the people in white lab coats with stethoscopes and clipboards. But the most disturbing aspect of the image was the patient. In the centre of the page on a hospital bed with a number of wires and tubes attached to various parts of his anatomy and his eyes closed, as if in sleep, was Edward. _

(Meanwhile...)

Bella was moving around her room at a remarkable speed for someone who lacked co-ordination. But she was nervous, and moving helped- sort of. She had decided that tonight would be the night. She and Edward had spent weeks, more than a month actually, dancing around the issue of sex and whilst Bella respected that Edward wanted to take his time and romance her she'd had enough. There was only so much sexual frustration a girl could take.

Their last few dates had been incredible. The air practically crackled with electricity when Edward would stare straight into her eyes. When he kissed her Bella's breathing would quicken, her head swam and her central nervous system went into overload. Despite this the timing had never been quite right. But now she was determined.

Bella was just arranging a few scented candles on her dresser when Alice rushed into the room, not bothering to knock, a look of pure fear and panic on her face and a piece of paper grasped tightly in her hand.

"Bella, Bella, I'm so sorry Bella." Alice was almost crying as she looked up at her best friend.

"Alice? What is it? What's the matter?" Bella was confused. No doubt about that. What had gotten miss happy go lucky in such a state?

Unable to answer Alice merely handed the piece of paper in her hand to Bella, her face the picture of remorse.

Bella froze.

One minute passed and then two and then three, in total silence. Bella just stared at the image, disbelief filling her expression.

"No." She whispered finally breaking the silence. "No, this is all wrong!" anger was starting to leak into her voice now.

"No, no, NO!"

"I'm sorry Bella" Alice said hurt by the fact that Bella was hurting.

"It's not your fault Alice." Bella tried to consol the young girl, distracted from her grief for a second. "You don't make these things happen sweetheart. You just see them." Bella took Alice in her arms and gave her a hug. "Do you know when?" she asked her, hopeful. Alice just shook her head sadly.

"Okay, well I should call him. Make sure he's ok. Tell him to be careful." Bella said, planning.

Just as she reached for her cell phone it started ringing. It wasn't a number she recognised. But she answered anyway.

"Hello?"

"Hello." Said a gruff male voice Bella didn't recognise. "This is Emmett."

Emmett? Bella was confused for a second. She didn't know an Emmett. Did she? And then when she'd been silent for just a little too long she remembered.

"Oh! Emmett. Edwards brother?" She asked.

"Yeah that's me." The voice clarified.

"Oh, hi!" she said unsure of what to say to a guy she'd never met but knew lots about.

"Hello" Emmett repeated. "I hate that this is the first time we've spoken but I have some bad news." Bella's heart sank as she correctly guessed the meaning of his words. "Edward's been hurt. He's in the hospital. I wanted you to know."

"Oh god! Is he gonna be okay? What happened? Which hospital is he in? Can I come and see him?" Bella fired questions at him down the phone.

"Well the doctors are looking at him now but they think he's going to need surgery. Apparently he was trying to move his piano downstairs by himself, bloody idiot, and it fell on top of him. They think he cracked his ribs and punctured his lung. "

Bella would've laughed if she hadn't seen the drawing of Edward in the hospital. The mental image of Edward's piano landing on top of him was comical.

"If his cleaning lady hadn't turned up when she did and called an ambulance who know what would've happened." Emmett continued "I'm just waiting for mum and dad to get here now. They're on their way. I'm surprised dad didn't commandeer one of the hospitals helicopters and fly here so he could do any surgery himself." Emmett laughed at his slight exaggeration.

"What hospital are you in?" Bella said grabbing her keys, purse and jacket.

"We're at Seattle Grace. You don't have to come Bella. I just wanted to let you know" He said not wanting her to feel obligated.

"No. I'd go crazy sat at home. I'm coming." She said hugging Alice quickly and heading for the door.

"Okay I'll guess I'll see you soon."

"Okay Emmett. See you soon" She hung up the phone and got into her car. She was driving like the devil was chasing her. She even went over the speed limit a couple times, which as a cop's daughter was something she'd never done before. When she finally found a parking space and fed the meter she half ran to the hospital, only slowing after she'd fallen a couple of times.

Once at the counter she asked "I'm looking for a patient. Edward Cullen. He'll probably be in the surgical wing."

"The piano guy?" the nurse asked smiling. Obviously the injury must be providing a bit of comedy to the staff. Bella just nodded. "Are you family?"

"No I'm his... girlfriend." She and Edward had only just decided on the terminology of their relationship. They'd had 'the talk' about a week ago and agreed to be exclusive... not that Bella had the time for anyone else (and to be honest she didn't want anyone else either.) "But his family know I'm coming. His brother called me." She added hastily. She knew hospitals could be funny if you weren't related to the patients.

"Okay. Come with me. His brother is waiting in his room." Bella followed the nurse through a maze of corridors certain she'd never find her way out of here again. There were strange noises all around her bleeps from machines and pagers, nervous chatter of doctors, patients and relatives, the squeaks of shoes on the clean floor and the low hum of the air con.

Eventually the nurse pointed to a room and Bella opened the door nervously. The bed was empty she looked around panicked. A man sat in a chair in the corner. He looked up as soon as Bella entered and stood up. "Bella?" he asked.

It could only be Emmett, Bella decided as she nodded. He was unmistakably Edward's brother. Not that he looked anything like Edward. He was much stockier than Edward, very muscular and tall. He had curly dark hair deep brown eyes and dimples in his cheeks even when he wasn't smiling. But there was something in his face, maybe the kindness of his eyes that reminded her of Edward. "Yes" she confirmed "you're Emmett?"

"Yeah that's me. I'm glad you could come. I'm going out of my mind on my own." He said walking towards her. Bella held out her hand for Emmett to shake but he ignored it and pulled her into a big bear-like hug. Bella couldn't help but smile. This man would be intimidating to most, big as he is. But after all that Edward had told her about Emmett she should have expected him to be this affectionate.

"Are your folks not here yet?" Bella asked when Emmett released her.

"No" he answered. "I'm hoping they get here soon though cause when the doc gets here and tells me what Ed needs I'll have to sign the forms and shit and I have no fucking clue what the fancy medical terms mean like Carlisle would." He sounded panicked.

"Don't worry. I'll sit and be petrified along with you 'cause I don't know a thing about medicine either." Bella told him and she took one of his huge hands in hers. "Where is Rosalie?" Bella asked.

"She's at home with Seth. We didn't want to tell him. He's so little and has such a gentle disposition. So unless Edwards's really in trouble we're not gonna tell him." Emmett told her. Bella just nodded. She'd probably do the same thing if it was her kid. Hers and Edwards... Whoa- where the 'effin hell had that thought come from. They hadn't even had sex yet and she was having baby thoughts- this was bad, very, very bad. She was in deeper than she thought. She fucking loved him- loved him, and she was coming to this epiphany in the hospital, when Edward was unconscious and she couldn't tell him- Fabulous.

Emmett was completely unaware of Bella's inner turmoil. He was in his own little world. At least until a female voice came from the doorway.

"Emmett!" a chestnut haired woman in her late forties entered the room. She had a kind, heart shaped face. Her hair was streaked with grey in places and she had a warm smile. But it was her eyes that gave it away. This was Edward's mother; Bella knew it without being told.

"Mom" Emmett got up from where he sat and embraced the woman. Who promptly started sobbing in the arms of her eldest son. Bella felt a little awkward. This was a family moment and she felt like she was intruding. She looked anywhere but at Emmett and his mom.

That was when she saw him, Dr Cullen. He stood in the doorway, looking stern and holding what she assumed was Edwards chart.

"Where is the bloody doctor?" he asked. "Actually, scratch that. Where is the bloody patient? I'm gonna kick his scrawny ass from here to Timbuktu for making me leave the hospital. There better be something interesting up with him, a decent surgery at least."

Bella didn't know weather to laugh or cower in fear of the man. He was typically good looking in that older guy kind of way. It was clear where Edward got his strong jaw and perfect hair from, even if the doctor's was blonde.

"Honey, calm down, I'm sure the doctor will be here soon and Edward too. You can't be having hospital withdrawal just yet you've only been out of you OR for three hours or so." It was then she seemed to notice Bella sat in the corner of the room, trying to be invisible.

"You must be Bella." She said approaching her.

"Y...yes" Bella mumbled.

"I'm Esme and this is Carlisle, we're Edward's parents. And you've already met Emmett."

There was a pause and Carlisle started ranting again. "This is just stupid. Edward will be fine. He's always fine. Nothing knocks him down for long. I brought him up right."

Esme smiled at that. "Sure _you_ brought him up _now_, but when he finished college and he told you he wanted to be a teacher and not a doctor it was all _my_ fault." She finished sarcastically.

Bella smiled at their light hearted banter. It was obviously an ongoing argument yet every word was said with affection.

"I'm going to go see if I can find any decent coffee in this place. Bella, will you come with me?" Esme asked turning her attention back to the brunette.

"Sure." Bella asked. Not sure why coffee scouting was a two person job but not wanting to offend the older woman.

They walked down the hallways together.

"So we've heard a lot about you, Bella. Not from Edward of course. But he told Emmett and Emmett told us." Esme said conversationally.

"Good things I hope." Bella replied.

"Of course, but we knew you had to be special before we found out anything about you. For Edward to be interested in you, you had to be very special indeed." Bella was confused by this.

"Well he does have good taste" Bella said.

"He does." Esme agreed "but that's not what I was talking about. Has Edward ever talked about his previous relationships with you?"

"No." Bella said simply, intrigued now.

"Well, I'm not surprised. He doesn't like to talk about it. But I guess its something you should know." By this time they had found a coffee machine and Esme pointed to a couple of chairs. Indicating that she wanted to sit down and talk. Bella sat and cautiously took a sip of her coffee as she waited for Esme to begin. Yuck! It was arguably the worst coffee she had ever tasted.

"About three and a half years ago now Edward met a girl called Tanya. Everyone thought she was lovely and Edward fell head over heals for her. When they'd been together for almost a year Edward proposed and they started planning the wedding. They both seemed so happy, so in love. Then the day of the wedding came and everyone was at the church. Edward was stood at the top of the aisle looking like the happiest man on the planet. And then Tanya's sister came in and went up the aisle and handed him a piece of paper. A letter, from Tanya, saying that she wouldn't be coming, she couldn't marry him because she didn't love him enough." Esme paused and took in the look of horror on Bella's face. "Edward was broken. For months he did nothing but drink. He stopped going to work and became so depressed. At first we didn't blame him. What that woman did to him that day was unbelievable. And to have your heart broken in front of everyone you've ever known is devastating. But eventually, after he lost his apartment and he received a stern talk from Emmett he came back around. He wasn't how he used to be. But it was better than he had been in such a long time. Then he moved to Forks to start his job there. But he has never gotten involved with anyone romantically since then. Not even a first date. Though I've tried to set him up a few girls I know from work. So I knew that you must be special because Edward likes you enough to risk his heart again."

"Wow." Bella was shocked. Not only because that was such a terrible thing to have happened to Edward but because she couldn't believe that she was worth someone risking that sort of pain again. Not that she'd ever do the same thing. It was just plain wrong. Poor Edward.

"Yeah, I just wanted you to know that if Edward ever seems hesitant it's not because of anything you've done. It's just going to be hard for him to let anyone all the way in again. So you might need to patient"

"I'm an adoptive mother, so I have a lot of patience." Bella said, smiling at the private joke. You needed patience in spades when dealing with Alice.

"Oh will you be bringing the little one with you to the party?" Esme asked referring to the engagement party Bella had agreed to attend weeks ago.

"Well, Alice is little but not in the way I think you mean, she's sixteen and I doubt she'll want to spend a whole Saturday evening away from Jasper- the boyfriend." She told Esme smiling.

"Well she's more than welcome to bring him along." Esme told her kindly. "The more the merrier."

"I'll ask her." Bella agreed.

"Good. We should probably get back to the boys now. I'll bet Edward is back in his room by now." Esme said and the women got up, discarded their almost full cups of revolting coffee and headed back to Edwards room.

(Whilst back at Bella's place)

Alice sat on her bed, frustrated with her self. Why hadn't she seen it any earlier? She sometimes drew things months or years in advance but she must have drawn this as soon as the accident happened.

She needed to let it go. There was nothing she could do about it now. But she was so angry.

She got up and fumbled with her stereo, she needed something happy to listen to. She threw several CD cases to the floor before finding a Frank Sinatra album. That was what she needed, not exactly upbeat but happy nonetheless and relaxing. She stuck it in the player and pressed play before collapsing on her bed, pushing her lit essay and book to the floor. There was no way she was finishing that tonight. Bloody depressing book!

Not a minute into 'fly me to the moon' Jasper burst through the door. He never bothered knocking on the front door anymore just walked straight into the house like he belonged there, and he did.

Alice took a few seconds to acknowledge the look of excitement on his face.

"What?" she asked him.

He just thrust a piece of paper at Alice. Unable to speak, he stood, waiting for her to read whilst bouncing up and down on the balls of his feet, uncharacteristically.

"Mr Whitlock, we are pleased to inform you that the piece you submitted for the Waterhouse Art scholarship took first place and we will be paying first year's tuition and living expenses to the college of your choice." Alice read aloud. "Jazz this is fantastic." She said looking up from the paper.

"I know. If we get into Princeton I will actually be able to afford it now. I can't believe it. The letter goes on to explain that they're going to put the piece in an exhibition at the Art Gallery and there'll be an article in the paper about it. How awesome is that? It's amazing!"

"Which piece did you submit?" Alice asked and at this point Jasper looked down sheepishly. Alice knew from that look what the answer was.

"You didn't?" Jasper just nodded. "Jasper Whitlock tell me there is not going to be a painting of me half naked displayed at a public exhibition. That this painting not going to be featured in a newspaper article seen by all our friends and relatives?" Alice felt her anger bubbling over.

Jasper sighed heavily. "I can't" he admitted.

"You flipping inconsiderate moron! What were you thinking? You have hundreds of paintings you could have submitted. Why that one! Damn you Jasper!" she started punching Jasper on the arm with her tiny but powerful fists. Jasper ducked out of the way.

"Calm down. It's not like it's a photograph." Big mistake he realised, once the words were out of his mouth.

"It's pretty damn close. And everyone's going to know it's me, my nude breasts on display. You're such an idiot if you thought I wouldn't mind! What's Bella going to say?!" she hit him on the arm again.

"I'm sorry but I honestly didn't think I would win. Do you know how many applicants there are for this thing? You should be flattered that an image of you was so great that it beat all the other competition. I think you're making a bigger deal out of this than it is." He tried to persuade her. Alice was having none of it.

"You have some serious making up to do mister. I mean it! You are so not getting away with this. I'm going to have fun thinking up all the ways I'm going to punish you for this." She said glaring at him.

"Punish me eh?" he said raising his eyebrow suggestively.

"Don't even think about it. Step one of the 'make Jasper pay' plan is that all underwear stays on." She told him. His expression fell.

"What's step number two?" he asked tentatively. She smiled wickedly before throwing 'Nineteen Eighty-Four' at him.

"Help me with this damn essay whilst I think about step three is going to be." Jasper groaned but grabbed a pen and a notebook and began writing an outline for Alice's essay. She wouldn't use it of course. She'd do the essay herself, later, once he'd gone home. But she was going to make him work for forgiveness and this would help.

**So there you have it. I considered making Edward's accident more serious in nature but I couldn't be dealing with too much angst- so I choose a bit of comedy instead. And finally Edwards past was revealed. I wasn't going to keep you waiting any longer. And Jaspers gotta get himself out of the dog house. Hope you liked it- please review. **


	13. Chapter 13

**Disclaimer- as always Twilight and its characters do not belong to me. They remain the property of a very talented lady called Stephanie.**

**Chapter Thirteen**

Edwards POV

_I was back in that fucking church._

_I was wearing that ridiculous suit._

_My entire family sat on one side of the aisle, her entire family on the other. _

_I couldn't do this. Not again. My breathing became laboured, my chest tightened._

"_Suck it up man" Emmett's voice sounded beside me as I rubbed my sweaty palms over my trousers. _

_The music started, the back doors opened and everyone's eyes turned towards them._

_Alice walked through the doors. Were the flowers she was holding concealing the note? She was going to tell me Bella had gone. It was going to happen all over again. I forced my shaky knees to continue to support me. But- no- she was walking too slow, even, steady steps- left-together-right-together-left-together-right-together. Instead of walking to me and handing me a crumpled piece of paper she stood opposite Emmett and turned her eyes to the doors she had entered through._

_The music changed and I dared to hope. _

_Hope that she would walk though those doors._

_Hope that she'd make it down the aisle._

_Hope that she'd stand beside me and hope that she'd always be there._

_Every second she didn't appear in that doorway filled me with dread._

_Then there she was. She looked unbelievable in white. She was clutching tightly to her fathers arm, probably trying not to trip. Her face was flushed a beautiful shade of pink, probably from being the centre of attention. And she made the same slow, even steps as Alice had, down the aisle, to me and to our future together. Then when she reached me her father placed her hand in mine and she stepped up to join me. She looked straight into my eyes and smiled sweetly. She blinked._

_And then the eyes looking at me weren't chocolate brown anymore, they were ocean blue. The hair on her head was no longer the deep, rich locks of brown I was used to but flowing tresses of strawberry blonde. And the smile on her lips was no longer a smile but a sneer as she dropped the engagement band on her finger at my feet and fled the church._

_It all happened so fast I didn't know what to do .I couldn't move my feet. My legs were like lead._

"_Bella" I called after the retreating figure that I knew wasn't her "Bella!"_

"What I'm right here, Edward" I heard her voice coming from above me. Huh?

And then my vision swam and was replaced by a new setting.

I was in a hospital bed. A steady beep sounded from my right and Bella was there, standing over me, concern covering her beautiful face.

"Are you okay?" she asked me.

"I am now." I croaked my throat dry. "Just a bad dream" I told her and reached for her hand. She squeezed my hand lightly and reached behind her to grab a glass of water that she held to my lips. I sipped gently and appreciated the soothing feel of the liquid on my throat.

After I had finished drinking she looked at me for a long moment before speaking.

"What on earth did you think you were doing? Moving your piano by yourself?"

My piano? What was she talking about? Oh right- I remembered. I'd been taking it downstairs. It wasn't too heavy, just an awkward shape. But I hadn't been watching my feet and I'd misjudged the step. The second of lost control had cost me though. Suddenly the piano wasn't being supported and it rushed forwards, hitting me in the chest pushing the air from my lungs and me down the stairs. I remembered the pain, before I passed out, but nothing else.

"I'm sorry." I said aloud. I hated to think of the sheer amount of worry that had taken place over me.

"Why did you do it?" she asked. Well this was going to be embarrassing to admit.

"I know you don't like listening to me play in the study..." I started. This was true. She had complained about having nowhere comfy to sit and listen when I had taken her in there to hear me play last week. "And I wrote something for you so I was moving it so that you could be comfortable when I played it for you." I finished. How much of a girl did I sound? Seriously!

"You... wrote something... a song? For me?" she asked me a little disbelieving.

"Yeah." I admitted. If I had been more like her I would've blushed now.

Her expression softened and she smiled.

"Next time get someone to help you. Or if the piano doesn't kill you, I will- okay?" she threatened unconvincingly.

"You wouldn't hurt me." I said confidently and her expression faltered slightly before becoming more determined.

"You right, I wouldn't" she paused, no doubt for effect "but Alice would." She said and grinned.

I smiled back. "I believe that." I told her and she laughed. I looked around the room. "Where are my family?" I asked her. To be honest I was a little hurt that they weren't all here waiting with bated breath for me to wake up.

"I'm sure they'll be back here any minute to make a big fuss of you." She told me with a smile. "Your mother especially" she added.

"My parents are here?" I was surprised. I know I asked if my family were here but I just meant Emmett and Rose. I hadn't expected my mum and dad to bother with the journey. Especially since my father hated leaving the hospital.

"Yep." She popped the 'p' "your dads quite a character" she said amusedly.

I groaned. "What has he done?" I asked not a hundred percent sure I wanted the answer.

"Not much." She began. "He's just walking around making all the nurses swoon and bossing all the other doctors around. The residents seem to be holding their own but the interns are scared out of their minds." I laughed, that definitely sounded like my dad to me.

"How long are they going to keep me cooped up in here? Did they say yet?" I asked, already eager to get out of this place. I hated hospitals, the whole reason I didn't become a doctor.

"Probably a few weeks." She said

I groaned. Weeks!

"You just had major surgery Edward. They want to make sure you're okay before sending you on your way because lets face it, if anything went wrong, they'd have to deal with a pissed of Dr Carlisle Cullen and I don't think that's something on anyone's to-do list." She had a point. I still didn't want to stay here. What would I do?

There was a positive side to this though- I'd get out of mum and dad's anniversary party this weekend.

"Sorry, you'll have to go to my parents party without me" I apologised. Bella started laughing at that, which worried me.

"Do you seriously think your mother would let you miss her party? She's the only one in the building not scared of your father and she told him in no uncertain terms that you would be going to that party if they had to airlift you there." She explained to me smiling.

"They're not seriously going to airlift me?" I asked. It was a possibility.

"No." She answered. I sighed in relief. "But you will be wheelchair bound and coming straight back here afterwards." She continued. I would just have to put up with it I guess.

"Could you do me a favour?" I asked Bella, changing the subject.

"Sure, whatever you need." She said eagerly. I loved how caring she was.

"Could you go to my apartment, get me some clothes, books, my laptop? I need something to do around here." I asked. Not sure if this crossed a line or not, asking her to be my lackey when we hadn't even slept together yet.

"Sure thing." She said smiling. "I'll just wait for your family to get back first." She really was great.

Alice's POV

I put my phone down. So Mr Ass- Edward was awake and okay. That was good, maybe Bella would calm down. Maybe she'd even find time to go the restaurant soon. I've worked so many shifts this week I constantly smell like chocolate. Jasper gets hungry every time I get anywhere near him.

Ah yes- Jasper. He's been incredibly sweet the last few days, trying to make up for the whole 'me naked (at least partially) in a museum' thing. In fact he is due here any minute and I'm sure he has a fresh round of grovelling prepared.

As if on cue I hear a knock at the front door and barrel down the stairs. I open the door and greet him with a short kiss. I then notice the newspaper he's clutching in his hands.

"My article came out today" he explains.

"Oh let me see!" I want to be very standoffish about the whole thing but the truth is this is the coolest thing that had ever happened to him and I'm excited for him. I reached to grab the paper but he held it from my grasp.

"That's not fair!" I whined. "If you've read it I should get to read it." I complained.

"I haven't read it yet. I wanted us to read it together. But before we bask in my glory I have finally come up with a way of earning your compete and utter forgiveness." He told me a smile on his face.

I was intrigued.

"Really?"

"Really. Are you gonna let me in?" he asked. I hadn't realised we were still on the porch.

"Sure come on". We went inside and upstairs to my room. "So Mister Genius, tell me about the marvellous plan of yours?" I asked.

"Mr Genius?" his eyebrows shot up. "Can we make that my permanent title?"

I threw a pillow at him.

"Jasper! The plan?"

"Right, right- the plan."

Jaspers POV

Would she go for it? I wasn't sure. She might. I think she will. Here goes nothing.

"Well, the plan is. You paint me- completely starker's. And you can replicate the image as many times as you like, and put them where ever you like. The courtyard at school, the billboard in town, hell- the internet- you can make my ass global." I joked.

"You're giving me free rein to paint you in any way I wish and put the said image anywhere I want?" she asked to clarify.

"Yes." I answered.

I could read the expression on her face. She was trying to tell if I was bluffing.

"Fine, clothes off, on the bed" she ordered, very business-like. She had her arms folded across her chest and one eyebrow raised in challenge. It was sexy.

She was just checking, to see if I would. I wasn't going to back out. I was going to follow through on everything I'd said. I'm Jasper Whitlock- I don't say things I don't mean. I pulled my t-shirt over my head, glad I didn't have to bother with buttons in my new state of nervousness. I had never been naked with Alice before. And though I knew it was silly to be nervous about it I was. I slipped my shoes off next and reached for my belt. I glanced at her to check it was ok. She was looking at me with a strange expression on her face. Was that... Longing?

She was sat in her favourite chair now, legs crossed beneath her, her eyes were dark and her teeth were gently chewing her bottom lip. Her gaze was set firmly on my hands. Was getting turned on? By my little strip tease- of sorts? Well maybe I'd get luckier than I thought.

She seemed to notice I'd stopped though.

"Come on Jasper, show me the goods." She told me with a smile so I knew she was teasing.

I took a deep breath and removed my belt. Then to avoid dragging the situation out any longer I removed my jeans and boxers together with swift push, and stepped out of them. I turned and went over to Alice's bed and lay down on the covers before turning to face her.

Alice's POV

Well damn! I didn't think he'd do it. But maybe he won't. Maybe he'll freak out when I grab the paints... or else he thought I'd freak out and I wouldn't get to the painting stage... I'll show him. I may be small but I'm no coward. I grabbed a small table easel from my closet and set it up on my desk along with a palette and some acrylics before turning my appreciative gaze on my very hot, very naked boyfriend.

I'd be a liar if I tried to say that seeing him undress like that wasn't incredibly sexy, especially when that brief look of nervousness had taken over his expression. The boy was too tempting for his own good. I've forgotten why I haven't jumped his bones already. I mean, I've already forgiven him- not that he knew that. Maybe it's time I put the boy out of his misery- or maybe it'll wait until after I've painted him sans clothing.

The good thing about painting him this way was I get to look at him for as long as I like. There are so few situations where it's acceptable to stare at someone and take in each tiny detail of their body. And once I was finished with the painting I'd be able to look at it as much as I liked. Jasper was right about one thing though- I would chicken out. There was no way I would post this anywhere. My boy was hot and I knew it- but I didn't want everyone else to know it. I don't need that kind of competition. No this painting was for my eyes only.

It took a while, but when I was finished I stood back from the desk and looked at the work, then Jasper and smiled. The painting wasn't as flawless as the real thing but it was pretty damn close.

"Can I see?" Jasper asked sitting up.

"Jazz, you can see it later." I told him. Right now we had other, more enjoyable things to do. I reached for the hem of my shirt and started pulling it over my head before walking towards the bed- and him.

Jasper's POV

She was kidding right. That was my only thought as she walked towards me removing her bra in the process.

Part one of the 'make jasper pay plan' was 'underwear stays on'. I was utterly confused. Unless maybe payment was over- I was forgiven?

Alice continued to walk towards me, losing her jeans and panties in the process. Well holy crap on a cracker!

I made a snap decision right then... I didn't know what this was. I didn't know if Alice had forgiven me but I definitely didn't care, not right now. I certainly wasn't going to question whatever was making this happen.

Alice slowly joined me on the bed, laying her body across mine. Wow. She was soft everywhere. Every inch of her skin that touched mine was like the softest silk. I ran my fingers up and down her arms and searched her eyes as she lay above me.

She kissed my right cheek then my left and then my nose then she quietly whispered "You're forgiven" against my lips before capturing them with hers. I was elated. I smiled into the kiss as I returned it with feeling and threaded my fingers in her hair.

As she straddled my hips, I was forced to admit to myself that this would happen. Not that it was a bad thing just slightly unbelievable. I pulled her back down for another searing kiss and rolled us over so that I lay over her. She ran the pads of her fingers over my chest whilst I stoked her supple thigh with one hand and supported myself with the other. I moved my lips to her throat and was rewarded with the sweetest of moans.

I gently rocked against her, letting her know the effect she was having on me and she moaned again. I don't think I've ever heard anything so sexy in my life.

"Alice" I gasped against her neck as she pushed her hips up against mine.

"Jazz... I want... I need..." she murmured breathlessly.

"What?" I asked "What do you want?"

She put her hand to my chin and lifted my head till my eyes met hers.

"You" she said simply. And I was undone.

It was my turn to moan as I felt her heat against my hardness. "I love you Ally" I rasped against her ear as she kissed my shoulder.

"I know Jazz. I love you too sweetheart." She told me as she placed something into my hand. A condom. Damn. I hadn't even thought of that. I was an irresponsible twit. Well at least she had thought of it. I rolled it on and positioned myself at her entrance.

"Ready Ally?" I asked, giving her one last chance to back out, whilst praying she wouldn't.

"Yes, Love me Jazz." She said. I let out a small sigh of relief and thrust forward slowly.

I saw Alice close her eyes and wince in pain and I stilled myself immediately. "Ally are you ok?" I asked terrified I'd hurt her.

She opened her eyes and whilst a tear rolled down her check she said "I'm fine"

I wiped away the tear with the pad of my thumb. "I'm sorry." I whispered

"It's ok. It's supposed to hurt the first time" she told me bringing one of her hands up to stoke the side of my face. "You can move now." She told me. And I did.

I watched her face intently as I started to slowly move my hips, once I was sure she wasn't in any pain I closed my eyes and revelled in the feeling of being joined to Alice in this way. It was sensational. I didn't ever want to stop.

After a while I quickened my pace, unable to stop myself. I was delighted when Alice started to make little gasps and moans of her own. I was thrilled that she was enjoying this as much as I was. As I felt my release begin to build up most coherent thoughts left my head completely. The only things in existence were me and Alice and this one moment.

Suddenly the sensations were all too much and as stars burst in front of my eyes, I came with a grunt and all but collapsed on top of Alice.

She was smiling up at me. "You looked amazing just now." She whispered kissing me softly. I just smiled back in response and held her to me waiting for speech to be a possibility.

"Did you...?" I trailed off when my brain could once again handle the formation of words.

"No but it doesn't matter." She told me snuggling into my chest. _The hell it doesn't! _I thought.

I shrugged her off me and trailed my hand down her glorious, naked body. I made sure to stop briefly at her breasts to pinch and stoke her nipples. Then once she started unconsciously pushing her hips upward and gasping I moved my hand down to where my cock had been minutes before. I thrust my fingers inside of her a few times before bringing them up slightly to rub slow, gentle circles on her clit. This earned me a few obscenities. The harsh words flowing from her sweet lips like it was the most natural thing in the world. There was nothing sexier than my girl swearing like that.

I doubled my efforts, alternating between filling her with my fingers and rubbing her clit. At the same time my mouth focused on one of her nipples, sucking gently before blowing lightly on it and moving to the other taught peak. I knew she was close when her moans became practically constant. I abandoned her chest and brought my lips up to her ear.

"That's it sweetheart, let go, let go for me" I whispered.

"Ahhhh...Jazz." she moaned as I felt her hands clench in my hair and her whole body shake beneath me as she climaxed. I flashed my eyes upwards at the last moment and saw her face, the picture of complete bliss. I saw what she meant earlier, if I had looked anything like that when I came then it must have been an amazing sight to behold- she sure was.

She continued to tremble as I took her in my arms and cradled her against my chest.

"I love you." She mumbled quietly.

"Love you too." I told her, stoking her hair.

We lay like that for a while, just holding each other. I was glad this had happened here and now. I knew, from listening to my friends, that not everyone got to have such a great experience the first time and in most cases post-coital snuggling wasn't an option. Eric had been too busy climbing back into the front seat of his car, Jared had been worried his brother would walk in the room and Tyler had wanted to get back to the party going on downstairs. I got to hold my girl close and breathe her in. I was a lucky bastard.

After an unknown amount of time where I lay grinning like an idiot Alice suddenly sat up, like she just remembered something.

"You're article Jazz! Where's the paper?" she asked tugging on my arm.

With great effort I got up and reached down to the floor for the paper and brought it back up to the bed. I settled the duvet around us before opening it to the right section. I had a weird thought and put the paper down for a second.

"Do you think Jackson Pollock ever did this?" I asked Alice.

She giggled "What read articles about him self as he lay in bed with his girlfriend? I don't know but he was also an alcoholic- is he still your role model?" she asked jokingly.

I shuddered, thinking of my father. "Nope, you are the only addictive substance I need." I said as I lifted the paper again and scanned the page for my article. It didn't take long to find. There in the centre of the left page was a picture of me stood next to my painting of Alice in all her half-naked glory. I head Alice groan beside me and felt her hide her face in my shoulder.

"Everyone we know has seen that." She said. It was a statement not a question.

"Yes" I answered anyway "And you look breathtaking." I assured her. "In fact I'm glad I got you into bed today because every man in town is going to be beating down your door tomorrow asking for a first hand look." I teased.

She slapped my playfully on the shoulder. "Just shut up and read your article so we can bask in your glory Mr Genius" she grumbled and we turned our eyes back to the article.

_LOCAL BOY WINS PRIZE_

_Whilst the small town of Forks, Washington is not known for producing any superstars it is not without talent. This fact is strikingly evident in the eighteen year old artist Jasper Whitlock of Forks High School who just received the Waterhouse Art Scholarship for his wonderful painting entitled 'Beauty' which he is pictured with above._

_The painting is technically flawless with a brilliant use of colour but more intriguing is the meaning behind the painting. The model used for the piece is the artists girlfriend seventeen-year old Alice Swan and when questioned about her Whitlock said 'I just wanted the rest of the world to see her like I do- perfect and beautiful.'_

I knew when Alice reached that part because she said "Awww, Jazz" and snuggled closer to my side.

_His friends and teachers are not surprised by his success claiming that he has always been talented and that they we're glad that the rest of the world was getting to see it too. His art teacher Mrs Holden told us "Jasper is one of my favourite students. He's always been very talented but he lacked confidence when he was younger and I'm sure if he wasn't such good friends with the Swan girl, or more if the rumours are true, then I doubt he would've entered the competition. She's been very good for him artistically, at least."_

_The scholarship prize includes first year's tuition money to whichever school Whitlock chooses. He said that his dream would be to attend Princeton but like many anxious seniors he is still waiting for his acceptance letters to come through. Although it is hard to believe that a young man with such talent will not get his dream._

That's where the whole thing went to hell. It continued...

_Not that things have always come so easily to the young man. In fact his family circumstances are less than ideal. His father was arrested some years ago for killing a police officer during an attempted robbery and has been imprisoned ever since. One can only assume that young Mr Whitlock has had other, more suitable male role models in his life since then._

I couldn't believe they brought my dad up. Why would they do that? It was years ago and had nothing to do with this. This should be a time for celebration not to be reminded of my families past mistakes.

_The art piece will be shown tomorrow at the public exhibition at Seattle's museum and Art Gallery tomorrow night. The exhibition will feature the works of other young artists from across the country. Tickets cost $20 and can be purchased from the Art Gallery in advance. We wish Mr Whitlock luck with his university applications and congratulate him on his success._

When Alice and I had finished reading we both sat there in stunned silence. It wasn't until Alice ripped the paper from my hands that I realised I was gripping it so tightly. And it wasn't until she wiped the moisture from my cheeks that I realised I was crying.

**Sooooo what do you all think of this chapter. I'm sorry it was so long between updates again but my job hunt has had to take priority. Also I've had this idea for a new story that's been driving me insane trying to get onto paper. But I don't want to start writing until I've finished this story- let me just say its a great idea and if I thought I could pull off writing my own characters I would and then attempt to get it published- that's how good I think it is.**

**A quick request- voting for Esme's Erotic Ecstasy contest has started and is open until the 14****th****. My story is called Open Collar Look and I'd appreciate you vote- obviously read the story first- I'm not suggesting you vote for something you haven't read yet. To vote the address is **

**http://www[DOT]fanfiction[DOT]net/u/2079696/kikiwhore# Thank You!**

**As always please leave a review... if I get enough maybe I'll tell you a few bits about my new story idea in my next authors note...maybe...**

**Keep smiling- Raichy**


	14. Chapter 14

**Disclaimer- I don't own twilight**

**Chapter 14**

**EPOV**

"I really like her, Edward" my mother told me smiling as she rearranged the flowers on the table at my bedside.

"Well that's good because I like her too" I told her.

"Where is she?" she asked me "I was hoping to see her again before I have to leave and get things set up for tonight."

"She's gone to my place to pick up some more of my things, my laptop, a few books and something to wear for tonight. I can hardly show up to your party in my hospital gown" I told her. "But you'll see her tonight anyway." I tried to appease her.

"I suppose." She conceded sighing heavily before picking up her purse and coming over to kiss me on the forehead. "I'll see you and your beautiful girl later" she said making her way to the door. "I have to go and wrestle your father away from Dr Shepherd, they're trading med school stories and laughing about the good old days when they we're lowly undergrads together." Then she was gone. And I was alone in the depressing hospital room.

What would I do until Bella got back?

**BPOV**

I had been to Edward's house before, a few times actually. But it was different this time, being here without him felt weird, like it was wrong somehow.

I was glad it wasn't a typical bachelor's place. There were no posters of naked women adorning the walls, no empty beer bottles and pot- noodle pots left lying haphazardly on the coffee table, no collection of porn amongst the other DVD's on the shelf. It was clean, and simple and comfortable. Like my house, just bigger.

I grabbed a suitcase from the hall closet, where he said it would be and wondered into his bedroom. I hadn't been in here before. I looked over at his large bed with its navy coverings and allowed myself to get lost in a daydream where, when Edward was better, he would bring me here and lay me down on that bed and make me moan his name over and over.

I shook my head- ha- as if that would get rid of the fantasies. I could no easier forget them than I could my own name.

The first thing I packed and put in my car was Edward's guitar. Playing had always seemed to make him happy. I gathered a few books from the shelves in his bedroom, his walkman and a few of his favourite CD's. Then I threw a bunch of his casual clothes in the suitcase and grabbed his suit bag from his closet that contained his outfit for tonight. I also grabbed shoes and sneakers. Finally I walked over to his sock drawer and pulled out a few pairs and some boxers. Then a piece of paper at the back of the drawer distracted me.

I reached my hand in and drew the piece of paper out, turning it over and then gasped.

I didn't know whether to be touched or disgusted or horrified. One thing was certain. Mr Cullen had some answers to give.

**APOV**

I was at a loss for what to do. I had tried almost everything I could think of to cheer up Jazz. I got it. I did. I would be miserable too if our roles were reversed.

It had taken so long for his family to overcome the shame of what his father had done. His mother was only just beginning to regain her social standing and things had been going so well for Jazz. Then that reporter goes and brings all that shit back up. I was so angry with her.

Jazz was totally planning on boycotting his own exhibition. Not that I would actually let him do that. If I had to physically dress him and drag him to the gallery then that's what I would do. He deserved to have his moment in the spotlight. To realise he was talented and I wasn't the only one that thought so.

**EPOV**

(THAT EVENING)

"That's great aunt May but I really have something I need to go do." I said trying to get out of another agonizing conversation with another relative I hadn't seen since puberty. Being confined to a wheelchair really made escape a difficult option to pursue.

"OK dear. We'll catch up properly later." She smiled and I thought 'not if I can help it' as I scanned the crowed party hall for Bella. Yet another disadvantage to being in a wheelchair you couldn't see above people's waists. The minute I was up and running again I was going to donate a chunk of my money to a charity for handicapped people.

Finally I managed to spot Bella, thanks in large part to the birth mark on her ankle and the white shoes I had seen her slip on earlier. I wheeled myself over to where she was, trapped in conversation with my Uncle Tom.

"Bella, we need to talk" I said sternly and she turned to look at me.

"Edward I'm talking to your Uncle, don't be rude." And then she turned away from me again.

I took her hand in mine. "Tom could you give us a minute please?" I asked in a tone that clearly showed I wasn't really asking so much as telling him what was going to happen. He nodded and walked away.

"Real grown up, Edward!" Bella huffed and turned to face me snatching her hand back from mine and folding her arms across her chest.

"We need to talk, Bella. I hate having you mad at me like this" I pleaded.

"You really should have considered that before, shouldn't you?" she asked me. She was right, as always.

"Look, I've said I'm sorry. What else do I need to do?" I asked.

"First you need to not have this conversation now, in front of your whole family. And then you need to say something a hell of a lot more substantial than sorry!" she fumed.

"I wouldn't need to have this conversation with you now. If you had talked to me before we left the hospital." I reasoned.

"I was too mad at you then. If we had spoken a few hours ago I may not have even come tonight." She bit back.

"Well I'm sorry but we need to talk it out NOW then." I insisted.

"Fine." She grumbled and walked behind me to grab the handles of my wheelchair and push me out of the room and into the chilly February air.

"Come on then let's hear it. Your fabulous explanation!"

"You don't understand I've had that for a while, since before we got involved." I told her. Her eyes widened a bit before her eyes narrowed and her jaw visibly clenched.

"That makes it even worse. You're telling me you've had a picture of me tucked away in your underwear drawer for months. And not even a photograph but a drawing. And not even just a drawing but one of Alice's drawings! Where on earth did you even get that from? Did she give it to you?" she ranted. This was good, she needed to get it all out. Now for the embarrassing bit- the truth.

"No, she didn't give it to me." I reassured her. "I stole it." I waited for her response.

She just stared at me. She opened her moth a few times, as if to say something but then closed it again as if she had forgotten how to speak.

She remembered quickly "You stole it? You stole it! Do you realise how creepy that is. How stalkerish and weird this is?" she asked. She paused for a few seconds. Then looked at me quizzically. "I'm waiting" she said harshly.

Oops. I had thought that she was just asking rhetorically. "Look I took that picture from Alice's folder in the art room when I was trying to figure out if what I thought I was seeing was true." I explained slowly. "I just thought it was a good picture of you. And I wanted to keep it" I continued. "To be honest I forgot I even had it."

"Why was it in your underwear drawer?" she asked hesitantly, like she was afraid of the answer.

"I had put it in my jacket pocket and when I got undressed at the end of the day I took it out and put it in the first place I could reach." I told her. "I promise it wasn't there for any... unsavoury reasons" I tried to reassure her.

"Really?" she asked like she wanted to believe me.

"Really, I promise." I told her sincerely, looking her dead in the eyes trying to convey what I felt in a look.

Her face finally softened. Thank god.

"But you're not totally of the hook. I still think it's really weird! I mean- stealing artwork- from a high school student- your student. It's just...." she trailed off; apparently she couldn't find a suitable word to finish the thought off.

"I know. But I plan to spend a vey long time showing you I'm not some creepy pervert." I said softly.

"Good, because I really hate being mad at you." She leaned down and blessed me with a sweet, soft kiss before putting her arms around my neck. I quickly responded, snaking my arms around her waist.

"I'm glad for that." I told her.

"I suppose we had better go back inside huh?" she asked as she pulled away.

"Not if you don't want to..." I said. "We can always make a break for it." I was only half-joking.

"Because that would go over _soooo_ well." Bella said sarcastically. She got back behind the wheelchair and, to my dismay, took us back to the party.

**BPOV**

Okay maybe I had over-reacted; a bit- okay a lot. But I had every right too. I mean, I found a drawing of myself that was drawn by my daughter in his underwear drawer for crying out loud. It was creepy.

I probably shouldn't have been so quick to draw the conclusions that I did though. It was Edward after all and I trusted him. He was a good guy. I think I knew really that there would've been a simple explanation, but I just couldn't see it and get past what it looked like on the surface.

I couldn't bear to confront him in the hospital. What if it was what it looked like? What if Edward was some weird, freaky stalker type person and I ended up alone again? I don't think I could've coped with that. But then he tried to talk it out with me at the party and I decided that worse than being humiliated and left alone was being humiliated in front of a room full of people and left alone. So I wheeled him outside for his explanation.

Once he had explained it seemed to make sense and I could see his point of view. I probably would've wanted to confirm my suspicions about Alice too if I had been in his shoes. And if I'm honest had I come across a picture of him that I thought Alice wouldn't miss I would've probably kept that too.

I decided that ultimately it would be too hard to stay mad at this wonderful man and that I should probably forgive him. It was in my best interests after all. I would never find out what he was like in bed if I stayed angry at him.

After a quick kiss and a cuddle we headed back inside. I was tempted by his offer to leave early but I was enjoying hearing stories about Edward from his relatives too much to go, plus Alice and Jasper planned to come here after the exhibition was over.

However at around nine thirty I was very glad we had stayed. Edward had disappeared not long before and I was shocked when I turned to see him standing on the stage in front of the microphone tapping his glass gently with a spoon to get everyone's attention. It didn't take long for the noise in the room to die down and everyone's eyes were on Edward- mine included.

"When I was younger I would always make a speech on my parent's anniversary. I was always so touched by the way their love only seemed to grow as time passed and I hoped that I would find something similar for myself one day. But as you all know for the past few years I have made no such speech. For the past few years, even my parent's obvious and undying love for one another was unable to convince me that the same would exist for me someday." He paused at this point and looked at me and smiled my favourite smile. The he continued. "As some of you know, recently I have met someone who has changed my opinion on the matter. Once again I'm filled with the hope I had when I was younger. Hope that in many years time I will be just as happy as my mother and father are. So this year I want to give my toast again and as an additional bonus, because I know my mother loves it when I play, I want to play a song for you. I dedicate it not only to my parents but also to my Bella."

I felt my eyes well up. I've always been too emotional. But I just couldn't help myself when this man got up on stage and told everyone that I inspired him to believe in love. I watched as he picked up his guitar- I didn't even know he'd brought it- and began playing.

"I can feel the magic floating in the air  
Being with you gets me that way  
I watch the sunlight dance across your face  
And I've never been this swept away.  
All my thoughts just seem to settle on the breeze  
When I'm lying wrapped up in your arms  
The whole world just fades away  
The only thing I hear  
Is the beating of your heart

Cause I can feel you breathe  
It's washing over me  
And suddenly I'm melting into you  
There's nothing left to prove  
Baby, all we need is just to be  
Caught up in the touch  
Slow and steady rush  
Baby, isn't that the way that love's suppose to be  
I can feel you breathe"

He was looking straight at me now. Like there was no one else in the room. He stepped down from the stage and began walking towards me but he never stopped playing.

"In a way I know my heart is waking up  
As all the walls come tumbling down  
Closer than i've ever felt before  
And I know, and you know  
There's no need for words right now

Cause I can feel you breathe  
It's washing over me  
And suddenly I'm melting into you  
There's nothing left to prove  
Baby, all we need is just to be  
Caught up in the touch  
Slow and steady rush  
Baby, isn't that the way that love's suppose to be  
I can feel you breathe

I can feel the magic floating in the air  
Being with you gets me that way..."

As he sang the last few words and the notes from the guitar faded away I was only vaguely aware that everyone in the room had their eyes trained on us. Most of my attention was stolen by his eyes. I don't think I'd ever seen them as intense. His arm moved to his left as he passed the guitar to someone- I had no idea who and I was too lost in Edward to care.

He took me in his arms and kissed me so passionately that if his arms hadn't been holding me up I'd be a puddle on the floor right now. I could feel the kiss in every cell of my body and I didn't ever want it to stop.

It must have gone on for a bit too long to be publicly decent. As he pulled back from my lips and the rest of the world came back into existence I could hear the catcalls and wolf whistles from everyone watching. Edward leaned into my ear and so no one could hear him whispered "I love you" before sweeping me up in a hug.

"I love you too." I mumbled in his ear trying desperately not to let the joyful tears in my eyes escape.

Part of me really wanted to lay into him for the PDA. He knew I hated people staring at me. But the larger part of me was just too happy that he loved me back to care. I was also incredibly turned on by this point. There was a reason that serenades worked. And Edward singing a love song to me was a perfect example.

If it weren't for the fact that he was still too weak from his accident I would be dragging his ass off to book a room upstairs right now. As it was I would have to settle for a few knee buckling kisses and tender hugs until he got better. But the minute his doctor's note expires it is so on.

**JPOV**

We walked into the suite where the party was being held just as Mr Cullen was finishing his song to Bella.

I heard Alice say "Awwww." Beside me as she leaned into me.

I smiled and put my arm around her, kissing the side of her head.

The evening had been a surprising success. I had let Alice convince me to go to the exhibition against my better judgment and it hadn't been half as bad as I feared it would be. People had come up to us all night congratulating me on winning the prize and telling Alice she was just as pretty in person. I totally agreed with them and smiled as she blushed.

The high point had been when Alice spotted the reporter and really laid into her in front of everyone. I know I shouldn't have let her fight my battles for me but it was so sexy watching her come to my defence like that.

After that we split and came to the hotel. I knew it made Alice happy to see Bella so happy so I was pleased too.

As soon as the music started up again I took Alice's hand and led her onto the dance floor. I was so happy we got to spend a night like this. All too soon we'd be hearing from colleges and planning for next year and neither of us knew if we'd be within a hundred miles of each other next year. But for tonight, and as many nights before our acceptances came back, we could just enjoy being us and being together and hopefully replay the previous days activities (before reading the article) many, many times.

**Okay- I hope this was worth the wait- let me know what you think.**

**Song in this chapter was Faith Hills 'breathe' **


	15. Chapter 15

Disclaimer- Not mine, Don't sue!

**Chapter 15**

BPOV

After that one dance I led Edward back to his wheelchair. His doctors would hospitalize me if they knew I had let him out of his chair. I barely let him out of my sight though and my hands and lips certainly didn't leave him for long. I stole kisses and gentle caresses all night when we thought no-one was looking.

Of course people were taking an extra special interest in us after the very public display of affection earlier. I found to my surprise that I didn't mind too much. I wanted everyone to know how Edward felt about me and how I felt about him. I wanted to scream it from the rooftops, so to speak.

Alice and Jasper were here also and they seemed happy. The exhibition must have gone well as they were both smiling broadly and having a great time. Its moments like this that I'm so happy I adopted her. I wondered if parents always felt like this when their kids were happy.

Not a moment too soon though the night was over and I had to take Edward back to the hospital. Jasper was taking Alice home, but I was sure she'd be waiting for me when I got in to fill me in on all the details of her night and grill me about what she had missed of mine.

Edward was quiet on the drive back. He looked positively miserable when we re-entered the hospital.

"I wanna go home" he whined as he climbed into the uncomfortable looking bed.

"Look at it this way." I told him in what I hoped was a soothing voice as I tucked him up, "You will rest better and get well faster if your in the hospital and you want to get better quickly because then you can come spend the night at my place" I finished, smiling. His eyes lit up. "You want to know something else?" I asked.

"What?"

I leant in close, so my lips were practically touching his ear. "I want that too, very much."

He practically growled as his hand came up to my cheek and his lips found mine.

I had felt mean teasing him like that when it wouldn't happen for weeks, but then he kissed me like that and I felt that he was the mean one for kissing me in a way that made me want to rip his clothes off immediately.

I sighed and kissed him once more, softly, before turning and heading out.

The drive home was uneventful and as I anticipated Alice was sat on the couch in her pyjamas waiting to hear about my night. I filled her in on the events of the day and told her about the party bits she missed. She seemed glad that things between me and Edward were going well, which surprised me given the fact that he was her teacher but as long he made me happy she was happy. I am always surprised by how emotionally mature this girl is.

She then took her turn telling me all about the exhibition. She told me it was weird having people looking at a picture of her like that. "And when I would talk to people they'd do a double take, looking at the picture then back at me" she said giggling. She wasn't too embarrassed about it if she was laughing.

Not long after Alice and I hugged each other good night and went to our respective rooms. It didn't take long for me to fall asleep after the eventful day I'd had and I dreamed wonderful, lustful dreams.

EPOV

It was maddening. I should be able to sleep. Today had been so busy, so much had happened and I'd strained myself physically. But I couldn't get my head to stop. It was working overtime thinking of my Bella. My Bella and her promise of a night at her place once I was out of hospital.

I'd make sure to do things properly with Bella though. No quick fumbles or disappointments. I'd set the mood, candles and wine and music...

I wasn't sure where my tired planning became dreams but I didn't mind in the least as the image played itself out behind my closed eyelids.

Bella was dressed in a delicate blue negligee that looked very soft, but not nearly as soft as her. Her eyes shined in the soft candlelight and her hips swayed lightly to the rhythm of the music playing in the background. I merely watched as her ands trailed up and down her sides a few times before taking the hem of the short nightie in her fingertips and drawing it slowly up her delicious body.

I started to move towards her and she instantly dropped the fabric and it fell back to place at the top of her thighs. She wagged her finger at me and I moved back to where I had been and she resumed her little striptease.

It took all of m self control to stay put but I knew it would probably be better for me if I did. Boy was I right. When Bella finally removed the negligee I was rewarded with a view of Bella's beautiful curves in a matching blue bra and panty set. My fingers practically tingled with the urge to touch her; I rested them on my legs instead, gripping tightly at my pyjama pants.

My eyes were mesmerised as she reached for the front clasp of the bra and it came unhooked. Damn! A full on marching band could walk through the room right now and I wouldn't be able to drag my eyes away.

A moment later she pulled the ties on either side of her hips and her panties joined the other scraps of fabric on the floor. I was practically panting now from my effort to stay away from her and my erection was bordering on painful. Thankfully she took pity on me as she bit her lower lip seductively and made a come hither motion with her finger; I didn't need to be told twice.

In less than two seconds my right hand was wound tightly around her waist, my left was tangled in her hair and my lips were melded to hers. She mewled appreciatively into my mouth, adding fuel to the already raging fire threatening to consume the pair f us.

Somehow, I'm not one hundred percent sure how, but we ended up with Bella trapped between me and the wall, kissing each other like the world depended upon our joined lips. My heart was beating so fast I was sure I was about to have some sort of seizure or a stroke. But I didn't care, if I died doing this, it's be the best possible thing to get in exchange, except for her love, but I already had that.

One of my hands left their new home of Bella's soft curls to trail down her sides, stopping briefly at her breasts and continuing between our bodies. I ran my fingers through the soft short curls at the apex of her legs and in-between her lips. Damn it- she was so wet for me.

I moved my hand, Bella moaned in protest, to my pyjama pants. I pulled lightly on the drawstring and the pants fell effortlessly to the floor. I somehow managed to kick them aside at the same time as pushing Bella flush against the wall. Her legs very instinctively wrapped around my waist as I thrust into her.

Bliss.

This was by no means the first time I had done this, but I couldn't remember it ever being this good before. She was so tight and so hot and so wet...

I put one of my arms behind her shoulders and the other behind her ass (I didn't want her to bruise from the wall) as I thrust myself into her again and again. The whole time she panted my name, in-between the 'I love you's' and the 'don't stop's'.

I couldn't understand why my legs hadn't given way yet, usually they wouldn't take this kind of abuse. Maybe it was an adrenaline thing. I certainly couldn't feel any pain, only overwhelming pleasure.

"Oh Bella... Bella... oh god" I moaned, so loud, I was sure the neighbours heard me. I watched her face, showing the exact same pleasure I was experiencing, my god, she was so beautiful like this. I felt her tightening around me as my name slipped sweetly from her lips and I went over with her.

...

I woke up to the kind of sticky situation I thought I had left behind in my teenage years... how was I going to explain this to the nurse that changed my sheets?

BPOV

The day after the party I mentally prepared myself as I made my way to the restaurant. I dreaded to think what kind of mess I would meet upon entering the building. I had handed the reins over to Mike since I had been busy looking after Edward and I dreaded to think what the repercussions of that action would be. Especially as Alice had laughed mockingly when I told her I was going to head to the restaurant today.

I was shocked. When I walked into the kitchen everything seemed to be in order. Worktops cleaned, freezer locked, no leaks, no evidence of fire. Had I walked into the right building? I walked over to the computer and switched it on. The accounts were up to date and matched the online bank statement. Well- impressed didn't seem to cover it. Maybe it was time to consider giving Mike a raise, or at least a nice bonus.

The rest of the staff wouldn't arrive for another hour or so and since there seemed to be nothing that needed doing I washed my hands, donned my apron and started working out some of my frustration by making the pastry for today's special.

Of course I should probably get used to the frustration, short term at least. Edward was not going to be able to do anything about it for me for at least two weeks. Damn that was a long time!

After an almost faultless afternoon shift I headed to the hospital to see Edward with an extra large batch of cookies.

I walked into his hospital room to find him sat in the chair with a book rather than in the bed. His face lit up when he saw me then his eyes flicked to the nurse who was busy making his bed with fresh sheets, with the creases still in.

"Hey you" I said approaching him and leaning in for a kiss.

"Hey, I missed you." He told me.

"Good, I missed you too. I made you cookies." I said handing him the tin.

"Thanks" his grin was a mile wide.

As I sat down I glanced at the nurse again, she seemed to be smirking. I shook my head and decided to ignore it. But then as she was leaving Edward told her "Thank you", which wasn't weird in it's self but she replied with "That's okay, I understand, it's common for many of our male patients, I wouldn't worry about it."

As she left I lifted an eyebrow at him. "What was that about?"

"Nothing" he said turning his eyes back to his book.

His evasiveness caught my interest and the slight blush colouring his pale face just made me more curious.

"Edward" I said snatching the book from his hand "Tell me"

"It's nothing"

"It was something that had to be commented on so it must be something, so tell me. Or do I have to guess? Let's see, she said it was a common problem for men..." the wheels in my head started turning... "She didn't catch you jacking off, did she? That's a little weird for her to talk about." I asked speaking the first solution that came to mind. His blush deepened so I thought I was right, before he spoke.

"NO! But, and it's your fault, really. I...I had this dream- about you and I made a mess of my sheets last night and she had to change them..." he said in a quiet voice.

I couldn't help the giggle that escaped me. Then the giggle escalated into full blown laughter when I saw his offended expression. Only when he started to look slightly hurt did I control myself.

"I'm sorry baby. I'll make up for it. I promise." I said handing him back his book and kissing him slowly but with as much passion as I could muster.

Alice POV

It had been two days since the exhibition and party. It had been a very long Monday. School had been excruciating and to make matters worse Jazz and I had agreed to spend tonight apart, to catch up on all the homework we ha managed to get behind on in the last few weeks. I'm not sure whose idea it had been initially but I was quite certain that I hated that person (even if it turned out to be me!)

I was muddling my way through some questions on a history quiz when my computer beeped at me. I abandoned the civil war facts immediately and smiled as I saw Jazz's name flash on my IM.

**JazzMan: hey beautiful- how goes the work?**

I sat down in the desk chair and replied

**PIXIEGURL: terrible! why do we need to know about things that happened so long ago?**

**JazzMan: awww. I could come over and help...**

**PIXIEGURL: that's sweet but we both know if u come over here nothing will get done.**

**JazzMan: I'll be good. I promise. **

**PIXIEGURL: you probably would but I just wouldn't be able to help myself.**

**JazzMan: I could always restrain you if I had to- tie you up or something**

**PIXIEGURL: Kinky**

Just then the phone rang. I sighed and typed

**PIXIEGURL: I gotta go. I'll be back online in 90 minutes for a progress report**

**JazzMan: Yes m'am. Love you**

**PIXIEGURL: love u too x**

I signed out and grabbed the phone quickly.

"Hello?"

"Hi Alice" I heard a familiar voice.

"Grandpa Charlie!" I exclaimed. Bella and I had decided I should call him that as a joke the first time I met him, since he was obviously too young to be my grandpa but it had stuck.

"Hey, how's things with you kiddo? School ok?" he asked, probably more out of politeness than anything.

"Schools good, how's work? Keeping the people of Seattle nice and safe?"

"Don't you know it! Bells in?"

"Nope. She's at the restaurant." I told him.

"I thought she said she was going to start taking more time off in the new year?"

"Yeah but she has to do the afternoon shift at the moment so she can go see Edward at the hospital in the evenings." I explained

"Edward?" Charlie sounded confused-Oops. Guess Bella hadn't told him yet. She was gonna kill me.

"Yeah, Bella's boyfriend." I explained

"Oh. I didn't know she was seeing anybody. She meet him at work? God knows she doesn't go anywhere else." He asked.

"No. Actually, he's my physics teacher; she met him at the school."

"Oh." Came the response- he's a real talker is Charlie.

"I'm sure if you call the restaurant you can talk to her there." I told him.

"I'll do that then. Speak to you soon kid, stay safe."

"Will do grandpa, Bye"

"Bye"

BPOV

I was at work, counting down the hours and minutes until I could go see Edward at the hospital.

"Boss there's a phone call for you." Mike told me.

"Thanks" I said, drying my hands on a towel and grabbing the receiver. "Swan"

"Hey Bells" I heard my fathers familiar voice.

"Hey dad. How is everything?"

"Oh same old, same old. Anything new with you?"

"Not really" I told him not wanting to get into details.

"Well that's a lie. I just got off the phone with that girl of yours and she told me there's a guy in the hospital that you've been spending a lot of time with..." I mentally cursed Alice.

"Yeah well, its still early dad. Don't get too excited." I told him.

"Well you should bring him to dinner. How's a week on Thursday? Sue would be so pleased." He asked.

Edward got out the hospital that day.

"Can we make it Friday dad?"

"Sure Bells"

"Oh and dad..."

"Yeah?"

"You'd better make it four extra seats... Alice barely goes anywhere without Jasper these days." I told him. If I had to take my guy, Alice had to take hers.

"Sure thing, Bells. See you then"

"Ok dad, take care, love you."

"Love you too Bells"

Damn now I had to find a way to tell Edward he would be meeting my father soon. Then again, I had already met his and fair was fair.

**A/N So I hope you didn't mind too much about the wait for this. I really have been working on it for three weeks- the words just wouldn't come. I'm thinking two more chapters and an epilogue and this story will be done. Then I can get started on my next (and much better) story. Reviews would be awesome, as always (but I won't hold my breath). Love you All- Raichelle x**


	16. Chapter 16

**So I know you've been waiting forever for this chapter but I suddenly found myself employed and it's taken me some time to get used to working all week. I think I have it sussed now though and hopefully there won't be any more mammoth breaks between chapters. Please read and let me know what you all think.**

Chapter 16

APOV

"Alice!" I heard Bella yell up the stairs when she got home. "Get your interfering little ass down here!"

I quickly said goodbye to Jasper (we had abandoned our work about an hour ago in favour of talking on the phone) and headed downstairs. Though all my senses told me this conversation was going to be anything but pleasant.

"What Bells?" I asked, reaching the bottom of the stairs.

"Why on earth did you tell your Grandpa Charlie about Edward?" she asked looking at me like I'd lost my mind.

"How was I supposed to know he didn't even know of his existence? I thought you would have at least told him you were dating someone." I explained. Her expression softened.

"Whatever! We're going to dinner at Charlie's next Friday... and you're bringing Jasper." And with that little bomb she waked past me and I heard her bedroom door open and close.

I stood stock still trying to get my brain to function. Grandpa meeting Jasper! I recalled Bella once telling me how Charlie had reacted to and acted towards her boyfriends when she was a teen. This was going to be a disaster. I knew it.

BPOV

I had felt a little mean, dropping the information on Alice like that, especially as I had told her what Charlie had been like around my boyfriends when I was younger but the look on her face had been totally worth any guilt I felt. Besides I was still kind of mad at her for telling Charlie in the first place. I was going to tell him myself soon. But I wanted to enjoy being with Edward a little longer before introducing him to Charlie. And I wasn't enjoying my relationship whilst he was in hospital.

EPOV

Bella's visits were without question my favourite part of the day during my hospital stay. Every afternoon at five she would walk through the door, looking perfect, carrying a container full of food and the day's newspapers.

We would sit and talk whilst we ate together and then read the paper together, usually with her sat on my lap. It was during this activity on the Monday before my release that I decided to take a risk with Bella. Not really a risk though, as I knew the nurses routine by heart and no-one would come to check on me until seven.

Bella was seated on my lap as we looked over the entertainment pages of the paper and I was gently caressing her bare legs with the tips of my fingers, thankful that she had worn a skirt that day.

She didn't seem to notice to begin with, or if she did, she didn't comment on it until my hands were dangerously high on her thighs and had taken the skirt up with them.

"Edward what do you think your doing?" she gasped stilling my hands with hers.

"What do you think I'm doing?" I countered, raising and eyebrow and continuing my hands path to brush the edges of her underwear.

Realisation dawned and her face adopted a shocked expression. "Edward, anyone could come in at any moment!" she scolded me.

"Bella, no-one but us will be in this room until seven." I whispered lightly in her ear before kissing her neck. This seemed to have this desired effect; she stopped all protests and moaned softly as my fingers found their way past the edges of her underwear and into the warm folds of her sex. Whilst she hadn't commented on my stoking her legs it had obviously had an effect on her, I found that she was already wet and ready for me. I slipped one of my slender digits inside of her and, in total honesty, I had never been more grateful of my long pianist fingers than I was in that moment, as my name escaped her pretty pink lips in something between a gasp and a moan.

I claimed her mouth with mine as my fingers continued their work, occasionally brushing against her clit. She was unconsciously rocking against my hand now, her ass grinding against my obvious erection as I worked her towards her orgasm. I knew when she was getting close as her moans increased in frequency and volume.

"Be quiet love" I whispered in her ear, taking her ear lobe between my teeth and scraping it lightly, "You wouldn't want someone to hear and come in to investigate, would you?" I continued my ministrations, concentrating on her clit now, rubbing in gentle circles. "Of course on Saturday you won't have to be quiet at all, and I plan on taking my time with you love, I want you moaning like this for hours, until we're both too physically exhausted to continue." My words must have done the trick as her hands (one had found it's way behind her in my hair and the other was on my thigh) squeezed me in time with the contractions of her inner muscles and she shook and moaned in gratification.

Once she had finished trembling she brought my head down to hers for a kiss. "Wow" she whispered.

"I know" I agreed, smiling at the obvious satisfaction of my girl.

Saturday was sure to be all kinds of amazing.

FRIDAY...

The drive to Charlie's was tense... Edward was driving the Volvo with Bella in the passenger seat, trying to find some topic of conversation for Edward to bring up with Charlie, whilst Alice and Jasper sat in the back, nervously glancing at each other. Jasper actually looked a little sick, kind of pale and sweaty. His nerves were rubbing off on Alice and she was anxiously chewing on her nails, a habit she'd tried to drop for a while.

They pulled up into Charlie's driveway and Edward took a few deep breaths before getting out of the car. Bella sent up a silent prayer that this would go well, or OK at least.

Charlie opened the door before they had even started walking towards it.

"Grandpa!" Alice practically squealed as she hurtled herself towards him, at an unnatural speed, and hugged him tightly.

"Hey Kiddo" he greeted ruffling the young girls hair and smiling broadly.

Bella watched the interaction fondly. She hadn't been sure how Charlie would react when she'd taken Alice in but he loved her like she was his other daughter. But then again how could anyone not love Alice?

"Bells" Charlie greeted before looking to her left before looking to her left. "And you must be Edward?" he said.

"That's me." Edward said lamely. "Pleased to meet you Mr Swan" and he put out his hand.

"It's Chief Swan." Charlie said in a tone that earned him a stern glare from his daughter. Charlie sighed and added "but you can call me Charlie." Bella flashed a brief smile of approval at her dad and one of encouragement at Edward.

"And this must be young Jasper, Alice is always talking of." Charlie said his gaze turning to the young blonde who had hung back from the rest of the group.

"That's me." Jasper said with the smallest of smiles.

"Well we might as well go inside." Charlie mumbled and stepped aside so that the two couples could enter.

"Is Sue here?" Bella asked.

"No she had to go see Leah, some family crisis or something."

Bella looked doubtful. "If she's not here then what exactly are we eating?" she asked.

"Don't worry Bells, Sue cooked, all I have to do is heat it up and even I can manage a microwave." Charlie replied in an amused voice.

Dinner, whilst good, was tense. Edward had tried and failed to get a conversation going on several topics (law enforcement, baseball and fishing being a few). Bella was getting annoyed at Charlie's lack of effort. Jasper was sitting quietly and paying his plate an unnatural amount of attention and Alice as usual was either oblivious to the awkwardness or choose to ignore it and chattered away happily to everyone about all sorts of things.

When Charlie got up to get dessert Bella followed him into the kitchen.

"Would you like to explain your attitude?" she hissed at her father as she opened the refrigerator to get the cheesecake.

"Don't take that tone with me young lady!" Charlie responded grabbing plates and forks with unnecessary force. "I'm still your father".

"You will be the father I no longer speak to if you continue to make Edward feel so unwelcome. He's very important to me dad. So I suggest you put in a bit of effort. You don't have to be his best friend, you don't even have to like him but you will make him welcome in this house because he's going to be around for a while" and with that declaration she marched out of the room with the cheesecake.

When Charlie returned to the room he addressed Edward directly. "Bella tells me you've been in the hospital recently." He commented.

Edward seemed surprised at being spoken to directly but answered "yes sir"

"Terrible places hospitals" Charlie commented.

"Yes" Edward agreed. "But I suppose you see a lot of them being on the force.

"I used to. But I usually send my deputy in when one of ours gets injured now. I haven't been able to set foot in a hospital myself since Harry was killed." He said solemnly.

The silence that followed was broken by Jaspers fork suddenly dropping to the table and clashing loudly against his plate. The other four people at the table turned to look at the young man who was looking at Charlie with a shocked and slightly scared expression.

"What's the matter Jazz?" Alice asked timidly, placing one of her small hands over Jasper's ,much larger, ones.

"You're Police Chief Charles Swan?" Jasper asked

"Yes" Charlie answered

"Your partner is... was Harry Clearwater?"

"Yes" Charlie said again.

"I have to go" Jasper said, hurriedly grabbing his Jacket and heading out of the house.

Alice looked at Bella with panic on her face.

"Go" Bella told her and the young girl followed after Jasper.

"Wonder what that was about" Edward commented.

"I have a suspicion." Charlie remarked but didn't elaborate and the table was once again consumed by silence.

Outside...

"Jazz....Jasper...Please Jasper...wait!" Alice called after the obviously troubled young man.

Jasper slowed but didn't stop. Trying to put distance between himself and the house but not him and Alice.

"What's the matter Jazz? You can tell me." She said finally reaching him and standing in front of him, putting her hands on his forearms.

"I'm so stupid!" Jasper said exasperatedly.

"What?" Alice asked confused.

"I should have put it together sooner. I knew your grandpa's last name was Swan and he was in the police force and it should've clicked. I'm such an idiot." Jasper's head was reeling.

"Honey you're not making much sense."

"He did it!"

"Who did what?" Alice was feeling panicked now. She'd never seen Jazz worked up like this. He was always so calm.

"My dad! He killed your grandpa's partner." Alice stared, stunned.

Then she threw her arms around him.

"Jazz you have to know that none of that is your fault."She said in his ear, stoking his hair softly.

"Maybe not but its sill not right, to sit at his table, eating his food, when a member of my family has caused him so much pain." Jasper said sadly.

"I hate your father what he's done to you." Alice said with as much malice in her voice as she could manage. "You are nothing like him, you hear me? Nothing! You think I'd spend time with you? Love you, if you were anything like him? You're a good guy Jasper and I'm sure my Grandpa would know that if you'd said more than two words today." She told him.

"I know he's a good guy Alice" came a voice from behind them.

"Grandpa?"

"Alice can you go inside, keep Bella and Edward company? I need to talk to Jasper for a few minutes." Alice looked at the two men dubiously.

"O promise to behave." He said.

She looked as Jasper.

"It's ok Ally... go. I'll see you in a few." Jasper told her and so she went.

"I did wonder all afternoon if you knew who i was." Charlie said quietly, looking at Jasper.

"I can't believe I didn't figure it out sooner. I'm such an idiot. They should take my scholarship away." Jasper said, feeling embarrassment knock guilt out of first place on his current emotions.

"Don't be so hard on yourself boy." Charlie soothed. "After all, Swan is a common name."

"I guess. But how can you talk to me, even look at me, knowing what he did?" Jasper asked.

"His actions were his own." Charlie answered. "I checked dup on you when Alice mentioned you. Your last name registered straight away. But you've never gotten as much as a parking ticket; you're a good student and one heck of a ball player as far as I've heard, and creative to boot, hence your scholarship, congrats on that by the way. Like she said, Alice wouldn't waste her time on just anybody. What do you say we go inside, finish dessert and start over?" This was probably the most Charlie had ever said in one go and it was starting to make him uncomfortable.

"O...ok." Jasper stammered uncertainly. And the two men went inside. Both feeling slightly relieved that the air had been cleared.

After dinner Charlie bid the four good bye at the door.

"It was nice to meet you Edward he said shaking the young man's hand firmly."

"Likewise, Chief Swan." Edward said. The conversation had flowed more freely after dessert and the two had even found some common interests.

"Call me Charlie please? Kiddo, take care of Jasper here, ok? Your school needs him if they want a shot at the baseball championship this year." He said to Alice hugging her tightly.

"I plan to Grandpa, don't worry she said stepping back and taking Jaspers hand.

"Bells" Charlie took his daughter in a big hug. "take care of yourself."

"I will. Tell Sue the food was lovely and i hope to see her next time."

"I will Bells. Drive safe."

The next day

Bella and Edward set off for the night. Edward was keeping their destination a secret which was irritating Bella to no end but she knew it would probably be worth it in the end.

Meanwhile Alice was sat on her bed trying to concentrate on her calculus text book when he hand started itching. She sighed, and reached for her sketchbook and a soft pencil. She began drawing. Her hand moving swiftly over the page making soft scraping sounds as the instrument formed shapes and patterns, shadows and forms across the page. As she finished Alice breathed and took in the image on the page... A large grin took over her face, her eyes lit up like the fourth of July. She couldn't believe it. She lunged for her mobile.

Jasper answered on the third ring. "Ally?" he hadn't been expecting her call. She'd threatened all sorts of harm if he interfered with her studying.

"Get that perfect ass of your over here now Jazz. You have to see this" she said quickly and hung up. Rushing to find a bottle of Bella's Champagne and a corkscrew before Jasper arrived.

**So thoughts? ... Not long till the end now. Bella and Edwards lemon up next as well as the revelation of Alice's latest drawing. Wanna take a guess at what it is? **


	17. Chapter 17

**So its been a long time coming but here it is Chapter 17, hopefully its length makes up for the amount of time it took for me to get it up. I'd like to say thanks to everyone who has put me on their favourites/alerts that really makes me smile. And an even bigger hank you to those of you who continue to review seriously it totally makes my day when you take time out of your day to let me know u like this story.**

**Anyhow-enjoy!**

Chapter 17

JPOV

I rushed up the steps to Alice's porch, not bothering to knock (she always told me not to when I did) I entered the house.

"Ally!" I called closing the door quietly behind me.

"Up here!" I heard her call from the direction of her room. I headed up the stairs and into Alice's room to find her sat cross legged on her bed holding two glasses of what looked like champagne and smiling like the cat that got the canary.

"So what's all the fuss about?" I asked. "What's so important that I had to come all the way over here straight away? What couldn't wait until tomorrow?"

"Sit down." She told me. "I want you to get the full effect." I followed her instructions and sat on the bed facing her. "Here this is for you." She told me handing one of the glasses. "Ready?" she asked an excited glint in her eye.

"As I'll ever be" I told her, getting impatient.

She took a deep breath and withdrew a piece of sketch paper from behind her back. I almost didn't want to know what was on it. Then she turned it around. My eyes scanned the page. I didn't understand. It was just a drawing of me and Alice. She had maybe around a thousand similar pictures in her folders and sketchpads. Why is she making a fuss about this one?

"Ally, I don't get it" I whined.

She sighed dramatically. "Look at the sweatshirts dumbass."

I did.

And I dropped my glass of champagne, effectively soaking Alice's bed sheets. I ignored that though.

"We got in? We got in!" I lunged forward and hugged Alice tightly before moving back and looking at the drawing again. Sure enough Alice and I were smiling, arms wrapped around each other, both in sweaters that proclaimed the word PRINCTON in big, bold, unmistakable letters.

"I know!" Alice said grinning. "Now let's go get you a fresh glass of champers since u seem to be channeling your inner Bella." She laughed.

EPOV

"You're sure you can't see a thing?" I asked Bella once more as we came around the final corner of our journey.

"No I already told you I can't see a thing. Isn't that the point of a blindfold?" she asked sarcastically.

"Yes." I replied "That is exactly the point of a blindfold." I had put it on about a mile back because I wanted her to get the full effect when we got to our destination. I had put a lot of effort and planning into this and I intended for it to be perfect.

I parked the car and got out, walking around to help her out in her sightless state. I slowly guided her to the front of the building where we'd spend the remainder of our weekend. Then I untied the blindfold and smiled at the soft gasp Bella let escape as she saw the place for the first time.

I understood exactly what she was feeling. The two story cottage that belonged to my parents was like something out of a fairy tale. It wasn't impressive in size or appearance but it was a beautiful structure nonetheless and surrounded by flowers and other wildlife. It had tiny little windows with wooden shutters painted a pale blue. The building exuded a feeling of comfort that only comes with home. I was so glad when dad had agreed to let me use it this weekend. I wanted Bella to be comfortable and to feel at home with me. Also it didn't hurt that it was miles from the nearest town and we could therefore make as much noise as we liked…

"It's beautiful Edward." She told me after a few moments, when she'd taken it all in.

"I know. C'mon and I'll show you the inside." I said grabbing our bags from the car and carrying them with me to the door. Once unlocked I stood back and let Bella go in ahead of me.

"Wow. I don't know what to say. I couldn't have picked a more perfect place if I'd tried." Bella breathed looking around.

"I'm glad you like it." I said wrapping hr up in my arms and kissing her softly. "Now do you want to freshen up and get unpacked whilst I cook us something to eat?" I asked her.

"There's food?" she seemed surprised.

"Yep" I told her. "When I told mom and dad I was coming here mom insisted on sending someone to stock the place for us."

"That's sweet. I guess I'll go get unpacked" she said grabbing her bag. Which room?"

"First on the left." I told her. It was the larger of the bedrooms, usually my parents. I'd told them we'd use one of the smaller guest rooms but my mother had called me stupid and told me Bella deserved to experience the house properly and use the larger room.

I grabbed the ingredients from the fridge to make a simple chicken salad. I didn't want either of us to eat a large meal that would make us sleepy or lethargic. I put the ingredients together quickly humming to myself and thinking of the great things to come.

BPOV

I unpacked the few things I had brought into a few of the draws in the bedroom Edward had indicated. It was stunning, just like the rest of the house. The bed was a dark mahogany frame set off by deep, luxurious looking sheets. I was pretty sure I'd find put about those later.

I took a quick look at myself in the mirror and nervously ran my fingers through my hair thinking about what the rest of the night would involve. I was excited, sure, but it had been a while since I'd been to bed with someone and whilst I knew it was something you couldn't really forget how to do it didn't stop me from worrying if Edward would be happy with me. Especially considering how happy he had made me with just his hands at the beginning of the week. Jeez that was incredible.

I sighed loudly and with a last tug on my shirt hem I left the room.

Edward was in the kitchen, humming some song to himself. He was totally in his element and hadn't noticed me walk in so I had a few moments to just watch him. His shirt sleeves had been rolled up to above his elbow as he sliced some chicken breasts and tossed them into the salad bowl, mixing them in with his hands.

He looked up at me and smiled.

"Hi"

"Hi yourself." I repeated.

"I poured you some wine." He said nodding in the direction of a pair of glasses on the end of the counter filled with deep red liquid. I lifted on to my lips and tuck a tentative sip.

"Mmmmm." I said in appreciation. It was good wine. Not too sweet but still fruity.

We went through to the dining room with the salad and sat to eat. We talked as we ate about simple unimportant things. And we drank our wine and laughed, falling into the easy routine we'd established between us. I was struck by how civilized this was when essentially we had come all the way out here for sex.

After we ate we moved our conversation to the sitting room with the bottle of wine.

"You look happy." Edward commented.

"That'll be the wine." I joked. I was only on my second glass but could already feel the warmth of the alcohol on my face.

"And here I was thinking it was because you're here with me" he teased.

"Well that's a given." I said as he leaned in for a kiss.

Unlike the short kisses we'd shared all day this one held nothing back. If I hadn't been so sure of Edward intentions for tonight this kiss would've cleared it all up for me. His hands wound their way into my hair as mine settled on his lower back. It was the easiest thing in the world to lose myself in his kiss, all consuming as it was.

Eventually our lips broke apart long enough to take a breath and with the fresh oxygen to my brain came the realization that I had somehow maneuvered myself onto Edwards lap, or he had maneuvered me there. Not that I was complaining, it was a very nice place to be. I thought to myself as his skilled lips made their way down my neck and his hands moved to the buttons on my shirt.

"God, Bella" he moaned as he pushed the material from my shoulders.

I had wondered what he'd think of the lingerie I'd bought specifically for tonight: Navy satin and white lace. A look into his lust clouded eyes confirmed that he thought they were very good indeed.

He promptly picked me up and carried me up the stairs. Stopping only briefly to remove his own shirt and press me up against the wall in the hallway.

By the time we stumbled into the bedroom, most of our clothes had been left behind and the few articles that remained on our bodies wouldn't be there for long.

Edward wrapped his strong arms around my waist; his lips latched on to one of my nipples as he lowered me onto the bed and hooked his fingers into my satin shorts to work them off my body.

I felt dizzy as his lips followed the path his hands had made, peppering feather light kisses across my abdomen and down towards where I wanted him most.

I couldn't help but let out a moan as his lips made contact with my sensitive flesh. It felt so good to have him there but suddenly it just wasn't enough. Frustrated, I pushed his shoulders back and pulled him up on a level with me before rolling him onto his back. I made short work of his black boxers, tossing them onto the floor quickly and grinned inwardly at the thought that he was already so hard for me. The idea that he'd become so aroused by pleasuring me gave me hope for many future possibilities but right now I just had to have him.

We'd been responsible and talked about birth control (could hardly call myself a good adoptive mother if I didn't practice what I preached to Alice) and we'd decided that my injection would be enough on that front and since we were both clean otherwise a condom wouldn't be necessary. To be honest I was more than happy about that. We'd waited so much longer than either of us had wanted so it would be good that after being so patient when we finally came together there would be nothing between us.

I wasted no time at all in kissing him soundly as I lowered myself onto him. This time neither of us could hold back a groan as we experienced the feeling of him filling me for the first time. I didn't move at first. I just closed my eyes and enjoyed the feel for a moment or two. It was only when I head Edward whisper my name that I opened my eyes and saw the desperation on his face.

"please…" he moaned taking my hips with his hands.

I moved… and almost came on the spot. I shuddered as I moved back down and placed my hands on his strong chest for support.

"Love you baby." I told him, leaning down for a short kiss.

"Love you more." He told me grinning.

Then I began to move in earnest. It was un-fucking-believable. There would be no more talking for a while, just the sounds of us enjoying each others bodies-finally.

EPOV

I had been waiting for what felt like an eternity to find out what it felt like to be inside this beautiful, intoxicating and downright sexy woman and now that I was finally there, experiencing it and enjoying the sensation so much my body was not fucking co-operating.

I just about came when I saw the underwear she'd chosen for tonight. Then not long after I'd heard that sexy breathless noise she made when I kissed down her body to her core and I'd had to take a deep breath. Not long after I'd been subjected to the silky wet feel of her lowering herself onto my excruciatingly hard cock and I'd just managed to hold myself together. What was it about this woman that made me feel like a teenager struggling not to blow his load in thirty seconds?

I don't think I'd been more embarrassed (at least not recently) than when I realized I wasn't gonna last. Not long enough for her to finish too. Less than a couple of minutes after she started riding me I felt the familiar but unwelcome (there's something I never thought I'd think) sensation that signaled my climax and looked up at Bella.

"Oh god baby… I'm sorry… I can't hold back. Oh….uh…Fuck!" I felt a little lightheaded as I came down. Bella had slowed her rhythm and finally stopped and lay down next to me, smiling broadly.

"I'm sorry" I whispered. "It'll be better next time, I promise." I swore it would. I hadn't dealt with this in years and the next time I wasn't stopping until she came- twice.

"It's ok. Honestly. I owed u one anyway, from the hospital." She mumbled into my chest.

"I still feel like a prick though." I told her honestly. "What sort of guy doesn't even get his woman off first?"

"The kind who's been sexually frustrated for weeks. Stop beating yourself up over this. In no way do I feel short changed. The look on your face just now was amazing. I felt so great knowing that I'd caused that. I made you feel that way. And if anything, your not being able to control yourself with me, well, it does wonders for my self esteem." She said softly.

"Really?" I asked. She knew just what to say to make me feel better.

"Really, And when you're ready for round two just let me know." And she tilted her head back to look up into my eye. Well if that wasn't an invitation for a kiss I didn't know what was.

Meanwhile back at the swan house

"JAZZ! Get out of here. I don't want you to see me like this!" Alice yelled from her position on the bathroom.

"Ally your sick not covered in boils or something. Let me help." Jasper reasoned from the bathroom door.

"NO! GO AW…" and she promptly bent back over the toilet to begin another round of retching.

Jasper rubbed her back gently until she stopped and offered her water and tissue.

"Did you eat anything today?" he asked her gently.

"No… oh damn." She said realization hitting her. No food coupled with a bottle and a half of Bella's best alcohol probably wasn't the smartest thing she'd ever done.

"Look at it this way; at least we have a funny story to tell people now when they ask how we celebrated getting into college." Jasper tried to joke.

"It's not funny Jazz! And why aren't you sick too?" she asked holding her stomach with one hand and her head with the other and tentatively making her way back to her room and lying down on the bed.

"Because you drank more than twice what I did, I ate chicken earlier and I'm quite a bit bigger than you so my alcohol to body mass ratio probably helps." Jasper told her gently stoking her hair and pulling the covers up around her.

"Don't sit there claiming that this is another nasty side effect of my being vertically challenged. There are enough down points already." Alice mumbled feebly.

"I know Ally. Here…" and Jasper lay down next to her on the bed and held her close. "It's good practice for next year though. Don't you think?"

"I don't plan on getting drunk next year." She told him. "We're going to be respectable Princeton students."

"Right" said Jasper, smiling.

BPOV

I heard a gentle snore from behind me where I knew Edwards head was positioned. I found it incredibly cute when he snored. Whether it actually was cute or I just thought it was through the haze of my afterglow I don't know. Maybe it was cute because it was him? I let my mind wander back through the last three incredible hours. I was sure my smile could rival the Cheshire cats…

Edward had made good on all his earlier promises.

The second and third rounds had been much longer than the first (and worth the wait). Like he'd promised me in the hospital I had moaned at length and loudly (in several languages when I ran out of words in English. And true to his word by the time he was don't we had both collapsed in an exhausted heap on the bed. Edward had fallen asleep quickly but my mind wasn't as tired as body was so I lay here reliving the evening second by second.

Eventually I managed to drift off into a peaceful sleep. But it didn't seem like much later that I woke up in what I honestly believe is the best way ever!

I was still half asleep when I became aware of the remarkable sensation of Edwards lips on my right breast and his tongue lapping at my unbelievably hard nipple.

"Oh my god!" I moaned throatily overcome with want at the erotic sight before me.

"Good morning to you too" Edward greeted, looking up at me whilst he moved to the other breast, his fingers taking over the one his lips had just abandoned.

I could barely believe how quickly I'd gone from asleep to turned on. But then again that was the power this man held over me. I threaded my fingers n his silky hair and let myself feel as his free hand made its way down my front to the sweet spot between my thighs.

"Wet for me already?" he asked smiling as his lips left me breast to travel up my throat. "You naughty girl" he whispered smiled and gently took hold of my left wrist and led my hand down to his hard length. "That's ok though, I'm not a good boy either" he added then he smiled and kissed me- hard.

I circled my hand around his dick and took a few tentative strokes making him gasp and thrust upwards into my hand. I was in awe of the way something so hard could also be soft but was unable to ponder that thought as Edward wasted no further time teasing me and positioned himself at my entrance and in a slow but sure movement pushed his length inside me.

I whimpered at the intrusion, a little sore from last night, not in pain but uncomfortable none the less. Edward seemed to anticipate this as he moved much differently this morning than he had last night. Our activities last night had been hurried and frantic due to our need to feel each other that way. Now with our thirst quenched we moved slowly and effortlessly against one another. My senses seemed heightened this morning (maybe the wine had impaired me last night). I could feel everything. From his breath on my neck to the brush of his fingertips on my waist and thigh and definitely the way in which he moved inside me, hitting spots I'd long forgotten I had.

"Oh…oh…oh…" though his movements were slow and gentle each thrust hit a nerve and I couldn't contain my pleasure. Neither, it seemed, could he.

"Fuck…Bella, baby… so tight. Fuck!" he mumbled against my shoulder.

Before long we were both headed for release. Our moans became mixed as we sought after each others orgasms as well as our own.

"Oh, oh, ah, ah…now…I'm coming" I cried as my senses overloaded and I was washed away in pleasure.

"Yes, yes, yes, oh fuck, yes!" he grunted coming so hard I could feel his release.

As he slipped himself out of me and gathered me in his arms I felt my coherency come back to me as I whispered "that was some wake-up call." He chuckled and kissed the top of my head.

We made love several more times throughout the course of the day but all too soon it was time to head back home to life and all of its demands. The ride home was enjoyable though as we talked and laughed and I filled Edward in on my plans for Alice's birthday next week. I'd already brought the car and it was due to be delivered early on the morning of her birthday and we were going to have a little get together at the restaurant for her that night.

Our goodbye was the hardest part of the weekend. Having him so close the last few days had been so wonderful I was terribly anxious to let him go. But after a long, sensual kiss and a promise that he would stop by on his way home from work tomorrow and I let him go, watching his car drive away before I walked through the front door… and directly into Alice who must have been waiting there for me.

"Alice! What the hell?" I asked annoyed. Then I saw the smile on her face and I didn't know whether to be scared or amused. "What?" I asked apprehensively.

She was silent as she handed me a piece of sketch paper. My tension grew as I turned it over, unsure of what I would see. My eyes ran over the image, drawn in Alice's familiar style and I grinned, throwing my arms around her tightly.

"You did it!" I yelled, so proud I could burst.

"We did it" She replied and she mirrored my triumphant smile as I ran to the phone to make dinner reservations. We were celebrating tonight and one thing was certain… I wasn't cooking!

**So let me know what you think. Please? Only the Epilogue left… so if there's anything you might want to see happen let me know… if it doesn't clash with what I already have planned I might slip it in. Keep Smiling… Raichy x**

**As for my next story I have several ideas… would you rather read a Rose/Emmett story or another Bella/Edward?**


	18. Chapter 18

**Here it is. I know it has taken pretty much forever to get to you but the truth is I finished this chapter over a month ago then my laptop hard-drive decided to go to the big office in the sky. And my usual laptop doctor was unable to revive it. As you can imagine I was a little disheartened by this and I kind of lost my writing mojo. I still don't believe this is anywhere near as good as the last version but hopefully you'll love it anyway.**

Chapter 18- Epilogue

BPOV

The rest of the year passed in a haze for both me and Alice.

Her birthday was an experience I'll never forget...

We gathered around tables at the restaurant. In attendance were me, Edward, Jasper, Charlie, Jake and seven or eight of Alice's other friends from school. Her face was filled with joy as she opened all of her presents. She was totally in her element being the centre of attention.

It was easy to spot her favourite presents. The silver charm bracelet from Jasper, which she put on immediately after examining each of the tiny charms which included a tiny Princeton crest and a little silver paint brush, was one. Another favourite was Edwards gift, or gifts. He had given her two gift certificates; one for any pair of shoes from her favourite store and another for some furniture from his mothers design company. He figured it would be a perfect gift as she'd need stuff for her dorm when she left for college. And finally the present to end all presents...

I grinned as I passed her a tiny square box wrapped in silver. She opened it slowly delight on her face to reveal-

"A key ring?" she said her face falling in disappointment as she studied the small diamond studded 'A'. I just grinned and reached into my pocket.

"Oh did I forget to include this?" I asked as I held the set of car keys up in front of her.

"OH MY GOD!" she exclaimed as she rushed to the window and gasped out loud as she caught sight of the champagne coloured convertible with a big purple bow on it sat directly in front of the restaurant.

I was so happy watching her drive away in the car with Jasper after hugging both me and Edward tightly.

Of course having Edward around so much hadn't always been easy on her. Like the first time she'd used his first name in front of a class full of students or when she'd walked in on us together the day after her senior prom. That was an incident I wouldn't forget in a while...

XXX

Alice had booked a room for herself and Jasper at the hotel where this year's prom was being held. I wasn't stupid. I knew she'd probably have drink and I didn't want her driving afterwards. Plus it was her senior prom. I thought she should enjoy it with her boyfriend.

Since she was gone Edward agreed to spend the night at my place. Usually we spent the night at his. He didn't want to make Alice too uncomfortable in the little time she had left before going away. I was a little disappointed at this but I could see his point and knew that once Alice had moved out he would spend more time here.

The night was lovely. Edward had cooked for me. It was weird being in my kitchen and watching someone else cook in it whilst I sat on my ass and did nothing. We'd fallen asleep in each other's arms after a gloriously long session of worshipping each other's bodies and woken up the following morning in the same way. Since we didn't expect Alice back for ages we went down to the kitchen in our dressing gowns and sat at the counter for breakfast. What I didn't expect was the fooling around that followed the food.

Edward was watching me with thoughtful eyes as I finished my French toast. I couldn't help but ask "what?"

"Do you have any idea how beautiful you are?" he answered with a question.

"I should, considering how often you tell me," I replied. "But I have to disagree with you this morning as I happen to know I have an awful case of bed head," I said, running my fingers through the tangles.

"Well if you don't like it we can always change it..." He paused for a moment, smirking at me playfully and then tugging me towards him with the tie to my dressing gown. "To sex hair," he finished as his lips found mine.

I moaned appreciatively into his mouth and ran my fingers over his firm shoulders and down his sculpted chest than was covered with soft fabric. Meanwhile his own hands threaded through my hair and his lips moved slowly from mine down my neck and towards my chest making my gasp and shiver in pleasure.

I wish there were words to describe what his kisses do to me. But even if there were, my brain shuts off so completely so that every cell in my body can experience it that I wouldn't be able to put them in order.

With no noticeable effort he lifted me up and placed me on the edge of the kitchen table and continued his mouths assault on my collarbone. Slowly he tugged on my dressing gown tie and let it fall open. He pulled back slightly to let his eyes drink in the sight of my bare breasts and I moaned in protest at the loss of his soft lips on my skin.

But his lip's break in worship of my body was brief and they returned to lavish their attention on my breasts. My hands gripped the table edge tightly as his mouth latched on to my nipple. I took shallow, shuddering breaths as he grazed the sensitive tips with his teeth and moaned softly when his hands, which had been ribbing slow circles on my hip bones, moved slowly downwards to my now wet centre.

"Oh Edward," I gasped as he pressed two of his delightfully long fingers into me.

I suddenly felt as though he was overdressed in his dressing gown and boxers, at least in comparison to me. I reached my hands to his shoulders pushing and tugging to gradually reveal more and more of his exquisite chest before deciding to remove it completely. He had to stop his ministrations briefly whilst I pushed the garment off his arms but it felt so much better when they returned to their task.

Eventually Edward must have figured that I'd taken enough of his blissful torture as his lips began to make their way downwards to join his fingers where his thumb was tracing firm circles around and over my clit.

I was hovering on the edge of release; I knew my orgasm was moments away. I let my eyes close to allow me to focus on the sensations flooding my body.

"BELLA!" a voice that definitely didn't belong to Edward filled my ears.

My eyes snapped open and my head flicked to my left where Alice and Jasper stood, still as statues, their expressions matching degrees of shocked and embarrassed. Not more embarrassed than me though. I had never been more red-faced in my life than having my daughter and her boyfriend staring at my naked form (and the nearly naked body of their teacher) that seconds previously had been experiencing some of Edward's best moves.

Edward recovered quicker than me, covering my body first with my dressing gown before grabbing his own from the floor and shrugging into it.

"I'm so sorry Alice," he began.

"I'll deal with you later." Alice said to him before turning to me. Her expression had changed. She was angry. SHIT. "Bella, can I speak with you in the other room?"

I had followed her, reluctantly into the living room where she had proceeded to give me hell about setting a good example and the condition of the kitchen table. I ended up agreeing to buy a new table and whilst I apologised that she had to witness what she had, I wasn't going to apologise for it happening.

She and Jasper had returned early with the intention of going for a picnic and had gotten a show instead. Edward and I ended up joining them and although it meant postponing our lovemaking until later that night it ended up being worth it. Delayed gratification usually is and Edward never disappoints.

xxx

The remainder of the summer passed with very little happening. I cut back on my hours at the restaurant. Mike had finally gotten up the courage to ask Jessica out and it turns out most of his accidents were the consequences of his nerves around her. Once the nerves were gone he had fewer accidents and was a more than adequate manager.

I spent the time hanging out with Edward since he was on holiday as well. I tried to spend a lot of time with Alice too since she would be gone soon.

Before long it was necessary to go shopping for furniture with Alice and we packed up all of the things she would be taking with her to college. It was difficult picturing the house without her, picturing my life without her.

Edward came with us when Alice moved in to her dorm. He followed in my truck, loaded with all Alice stuff and I rode with Alice in her car. She had a bedroom all to herself but shared a common area with three other girls. I knew she would have the best time.

Edward took care of all the heavy lifting and I helped Alice put everything in place. I wanted her to feel as at home as was humanly possible before I left her. I wasn't sure if that was for her benefit or mine but it didn't make any difference.

EPOV

I didn't know which way to look as Bella and Alice said their tearful goodbyes. I felt like I was intruding on a very private moment. But someone had to bring the truck or Bella wouldn't have been getting home.

"Can I have a word with you before you go?" Alice asked me, surprising me as Bella went to leave.

"Sure," I said wondering what an earth this was going to be about.

"See you in the truck," Bella told me, hugging Alice one last time before heading out.

Once Bella had gone Alice turned to me. "I just wanted to tell you that I am really glad that Bella has you right now," She started. "She's going to need some taking care of over the next few weeks. Don't let her work to avoid being in the house alone ok?"

"I wasn't planning on it Alice. I know that this is going to be difficult for her." I told her.

She smiled at me. "Good. Well to help that plan along I have a little something." She told me and removed a piece of folded up paper from her back pocket. She unfolded it slowly and handed it to me.

It took me a moment to comprehend what I was seeing. It appeared to be a type of cartoon strip. The first window showed Bella going into the bathroom at her place. The second box was an image of me, in Bella's living room putting something inside a box marked 'Alice's Stuff' the third square showed Bella looking inside the box, the final window was a clear image of Bella's face as she looked at the item I had placed in the box.

I just stared, open mouthed at Alice. "How did you know?" I asked her.

"I know everything." She told me grinning. "Good luck." And with that she gave me a quick hug and ushered me out of the door.

The long drive back to Forks made me nervous. The item in my Jacket pocket seemed to weigh a tonne. We pulled up outside Bella's house.

"I need to go to the bathroom. I'll meet you in the front in five," She told me.

I walked through the room and followed the map that Alice's drawings gave me.

BPOV

I had a little sob in the bathroom when we arrived home. It had hit me, as I knew it would, that Alice wouldn't be coming back here. Not until thanksgiving, which seemed so far away. I washed my face and went downstairs where my beautiful man was waiting for me.

I walked into the living room and immediately groaned at the sight of a large cardboard box on the coffee table.

"Oh no! I hope it wasn't anything important." I said walking over to the box. I picked it up. _Oh! It's really light. I don't think there's anything in here._ I shook the box. It rattled. _There is something in here! _I put the box back on the table and opened it. Looking down into the box I saw what looked like a small black jewellery box. _What an odd thing for Alice to leave behind_. I reached into the box and pulled out the small satin- coated box.

I gently opened the box... and gasped.

Nestled inside more satin was a beautiful gold band, with a single diamond adorning it. It was classically beautiful, just like Edward.

At that moment I felt his soft hands encircle my waist and he placed his chin upon my shoulder.

"Marry me, Bella?" he whispered in my ear.

I turned in his arms to look at him. His eyes were filled with emotion. I tried to find the words to explain how I felt. A simple yes would probably suffice but that didn't quite cover just how much I loved this man who had just asked me to spend my life with him. But there were no words, none that were enough. So I just nodded, a single, happy tear running down my face.

"Really? Yes? Oh Bella." And with that he swept me up in his arms, twirling me around in a circle. Before setting me down and peppering y face with kisses. Then he placed his lips against mine. So many emotions poured into that kiss; gratitude, affection, trust, hope, but most of all, love.

He pulled back from the kiss long enough to put the ring on my finger.

"It's beautiful" I told him.

"You're beautiful" he replied and captured my lips again before picking me up, bridal style, and carrying me to our bedroom.

APOV

I looked around me. This was going to be my home for the next nine months. I missed my own room already. Don't get me wrong the dorm was nice. I had a bedroom to myself, which was lucky and I'd met the girls I would be sharing a common area with. But there was something missing: Bella. I knew most people felt like this when they started college. When they had to leave their parents and their best friends behind. But my parent and my best friend were the same person. I was just about ready to lie down on my bed and have a good cry when my phone rang.

"Hello?" I said

"Ally?"

"Jasper. Hi."

"Is it too soon for me to come and see you?" he asked.

"No, come over as soon as you can."

There was a knock at the door. I walked through my living room, past Kate, Tanya and Victoria.

I opened the door; phone still pressed to my ear, and revealed Jasper.

"Hey" I greeted, throwing my arms around him.

"Hey, yourself" he replied returning the hug.

"Girls, this is my boyfriend Jasper" I introduced.

"Hi" the girls replied with small waves and whatnot in our direction before going back to unloading DVD's into the bookcase.

Jasper and I went into my room where we both flopped down on the bed.

"I'm exhausted." Jasper complained. "My mom is a total moving Nazi."

I giggled.

"Miss her already?" he asked.

I nodded.

"I know it'll be hard for you without her. But hey, I'm here and the girls seem nice and you're sure to meet even more people when classes start. You're probably going to find more interesting people than me to spend you're time with," he joked.

"Don't be silly. There's no-one I'd rather spend my time with." We returned to the living room and ordered pizza whilst debating the merits of each John Hughes movie we came across.

Sometime around half eleven my phone rang.

"Alice!" I heard Bella's voice on the other end of the line. "I'm getting married." I smiled. _So Mr Ass actually did it. Good for him. _I kew he'd been planning it for a while. I'd drawn him at a jewellery store quite a while back and Grandpa Charlie had confessed that Edward had gone to see him about a week ago to ask him for his permission.

"I'm so happy for you mom" I told her. I so rarely called her mom.

"I'm happy too kiddo. And hey, it means you'll be able to visit sooner than we thought, Edward said his parents will want to throw us an engagement party of some sort when they hear."

"Oh I'll have to call Esme so I can help. I love planning a good party."

"I know you do."

"Ok well go be with your guy, I'll talk to you tomorrow," I told her.

"Ok and you go be with yours. I love you, Alice."

"I love you too, Bells."

**So there you have it. Some of you have asked about a sequel and it's definitely a possibility but it won't be for a while despite the fact that I have plenty of time now England have been knocked out of the world cup. I have a few other stories up my sleeves as well so put me on your author alerts if your interested.**

**Finally I just want to thank everyone who as reviewed this story, particularly the few who let me know what they thought every chapter. You're all diamonds. Please let me know what you thought of the ending. I love you all.**

**Keep smiling...Raichy x**


End file.
